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Sweden is a nearly cashless society – how it affects people who are left out

Contactless is king in Sweden, but people who do not have access to the technology are left behind.

A Ukrainian refugee, who can’t get a bank account because of their migration status, worried about a bill from the local health clinic that they had no technical means of paying. Banks created the widely used payment app Swish, and also issue the electronic ID needed to access public services like the tax authority and benefits for illness, disability and unemployment. But as we have found, people who rely on cash due to poverty are left without the means to manage independently or even to pay their bills.

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