To successfully accept payment methods in Italy, businesses must offer a flexible mix of traditional credit and debit cards (such as Bancomat) and digital innovations like digital wallets, Satispay, and mobile payments. Reaching the nation’s 40 million online customers also requires strict compliance with local regulations, including mandatory electronic invoicing for B2B transactions and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). By balancing these consumer preferences with robust security measures, businesses can effectively navigate Italy’s ongoing shift from cash to digital commerce.
Italy's payment market rewards businesses that stay flexible and forward-thinking. Support local preferences (Bancomat, CartaSi, regional languages) alongside global options like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Embrace digital tools—mobile-friendly checkout, mandatory B2B e-invoicing, and fraud protection via 3D Secure—while keeping pace with changing regulations.
What’s in this article?
- What is the current state of the Italian payment market?
- Common B2C and B2B payment methods in Italy
- Challenges in the payment market in Italy
- What to prioritize when setting up payments in Italy
- How Stripe Payments can help
What is the current state of the Italian payment market?
Italy’s payment market includes both tradition and innovation. While Italians have historically preferred to use cash, the nation is gradually shifting toward digital methods, with over 48% of Italians using online banking services as of 2022.
Additionally, it is mandatory to use electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) for B2B transactions. The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Revenue Agency oversee this system. To maintain stability, the Banca d’Italia (Italy’s central bank) safeguards the integrity of the nation's payment systems, while CONSOB supervises the Italian securities markets.
Common B2C and B2B payment methods in Italy
Italians use a variety of payment methods, from traditional to modern. Here’s an overview of the key payment methods used in Italy.
Current usage
While the country remains one of the heaviest cash users in Europe, recent innovations are challenging this status quo. The card payments market in Italy is expected to reach $546 billion in 2029. In 2024, digital payments overtook cash transactions in Italy for the first time, accounting for 43% of all consumer payments.
The adoption of mobile payments is also increasing, with services such as Satispay gaining popularity among young Italians, who appreciate the convenience and speed of peer-to-peer bank transfers. In 2025, almost nine out of 10 in-store card payments in Italy were contactless. Such data indicates growing confidence in the reliability and security of mobile payments.
Popular payment methods in Italy
|
B2C |
B2B |
|---|---|
|
Credit and debit cards (e.g., Bancomat): Italians frequently use card schemes such as Bancomat. |
Credit cards: Commonly used for smaller business purchases and expense management across Italian companies. |
|
Digital wallets (e.g., PayPal): Customers increasingly use mobile wallets to pay for online and in-store purchases. |
Bank transfers (e.g., SEPA): The preferred method for domestic and cross-border transactions within the eurozone, valued for reliability and low cost. |
|
Bank transfers: Widely used for bill payments and larger purchases, often processed through Italy's domestic banking infrastructure. |
Wire transfers: Used for high-value or international payments where speed and certainty of settlement are priorities. |
|
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) payments: Services like Scalapay allow customers to split payments into installments. |
|
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Satispay: This service is gaining popularity among young Italians for peer-to-peer bank transfers. |
Emerging trends
The majority of Italian mobile payments use near-field communication (NFC) technology, but QR codes are becoming more common. For these types of payments, customers scan a QR code to pay with a digital wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, a prepaid card, or a bank transfer. QR code payments often integrate two-factor authentication methods, such as biometrics or PINs.
Challenges in the payment market in Italy
Entering the Italian market presents challenges related to sales tax, chargebacks and disputes, cross-border payments, privacy, and security. Here are a few factors to consider.
Taxes
In Italy, the value-added tax (VAT) has a standard rate of 22% and impacts the pricing of most goods and services. Businesses are responsible for recording and transferring these amounts to Italy’s Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate).
Chargebacks and disputes
In Italy, the Consumer Code is a comprehensive set of rules that protects consumers, especially within the context of financial transactions. When a customer claims that a transaction was unauthorized, the business must prove it was genuine. As a result, the Consumer Code often favors customers in these disputes, since businesses must provide rigorous evidence.
As part of the European Union, Italy adheres to the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which influences the outcome of chargebacks and disputes. PSD2 emphasizes Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), setting a high bar for transaction verification and impacting how disputes are evaluated and resolved. If a business can demonstrate that it had stringent authentication measures in place, that information can influence the outcome of a chargeback claim.
International payments
Businesses handling international payments in Italy must manage currency conversions and fluctuating exchange rates, which add more complexity. Here are a few key aspects of international payments:
Currency conversion: For cross-border transactions, currency conversion is often necessary. When a transaction is processed, the conversion rate is determined, and a fee between 1% and 3% is typically applied. The business might choose to either pass on this fee to the customer or absorb it.
SEPA transfers: Italy belongs to the SEPA zone, which enables fast and inexpensive transfers between the 41 member countries. SEPA Credit Transfers in particular are one-time transfers commonly used for customer and business purchases within the SEPA zone.
Payment methods from nearby markets: Tourists from surrounding European countries commonly visit Italy. Accepting local payment methods such as French Cartes Bancaires cards can help businesses increase sales with international tourists.
Security and privacy
Italy’s commitment to financial security, compliance, and regulation reflects its position within Europe. To align with EU directives and standards, Italy has implemented systems that emphasize consumer protection and data privacy. Before accepting payments in Italy, it’s important to understand the country’s regulatory infrastructure.
Data protection laws: Italy strictly implements the EU’s GDPR. This regulation safeguards consumer data, requiring businesses to obtain explicit consent before collecting or processing personal information.
Payment services regulations: Under PSD2, all payment service providers, including banks, must use Strong Customer Authentication—typically a form of two-factor authentication for electronic transactions. This has increased transaction security throughout Italy.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) initiatives: Consistent with EU Anti-Money Laundering Directives, Italy has instituted rigorous controls to combat money laundering and counterterrorism financing. Financial entities must conduct regular due diligence reviews and report any suspicious activities.
Governmental oversight: The Unità di Informazione Finanziaria (UIF) is an organization that supervises and investigates financial bodies to ensure they adhere to anti-money laundering regulations. This entity, functioning under the Bank of Italy, provides an added layer of security by identifying and examining potentially suspicious activities.
What to prioritize when setting up payments in Italy
Italy's payment landscape is a market in transition, where cash still holds cultural weight but digital adoption is accelerating fast. For business owners, this complexity is an opportunity—if they set up their payment infrastructure thoughtfully from the start.
The core challenge is coverage. Italian consumers are not monolithic in their preferences. Younger shoppers might expect Satispay or Apple Pay, while older customers may still reach for cash or a Bancomat card. Supporting both can make the difference between completing a sale and losing one. Setups should accommodate local card schemes alongside international ones like Visa and Mastercard.
Security deserves equal weight. Card-not-present fraud is a concern in ecommerce, so robust authentication isn't optional. PSD2's Strong Customer Authentication requirements exist for good reason, and meeting them also strengthens a business’s position in any chargeback dispute.
Finally, businesses must pay attention to the operational side. E-invoicing is mandatory for B2B transactions, SEPA transfers are the most cost-effective tool for cross-border payments within Europe, and GDPR compliance is nonnegotiable.
Getting these fundamentals right early means less friction—for your team and your customers—as your business grows in the Italian market.
How Stripe Payments can help
Stripe Payments provides a unified, global payments solution that helps any business—from scaling startups to global enterprises—accept payments online, in person, and around the world.
Stripe Payments can help you:
- Optimize your checkout experience: Create a frictionless customer experience and save thousands of engineering hours with prebuilt payment UIs, access to 125+ payment methods, and Link, a wallet built by Stripe.
- Expand to new markets faster: Reach customers worldwide and reduce the complexity and cost of multicurrency management with cross-border payment options, available in 195 countries across 135+ currencies.
- Unify payments in person and online: Build a unified commerce experience across online and in-person channels to personalize interactions, reward loyalty, and grow revenue.
- Improve payments performance: Increase revenue with a range of customizable, easy-to-configure payment tools, including no-code fraud protection and advanced capabilities to improve authorization rates.
- Move faster with a flexible, reliable platform for growth: Build on a platform designed to scale with you, with 99.999% historical uptime and industry-leading reliability.
Learn more about how Stripe Payments can power your online and in-person payments, or get started today.
The content in this article is for general information and education purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Stripe does not warrant or guarantee the accurateness, completeness, adequacy, or currency of the information in the article. You should seek the advice of a competent attorney or accountant licensed to practice in your jurisdiction for advice on your particular situation.