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Comment by mazone | Hacker News Reader

As a Swede living abroad this creates a headache when going back. When combined with swish needs a phone number but to get a phone number you need to have a registered address, etc.

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This is a real and important problem: lots of countries have a System, like Vipps or WeChat Pay, which works brilliantly for local residents but is inaccessible to non-residents. Even if (as it sounds like in your case) you're a national but not a resident.

When do you need to pay with Swish and can't instead use a normal credit/debit card?

Good luck getting a debit card without an address.

The rely was to a Swede who lives abroad and comes back to visit Sweden.

Presumably they have cards they can bring with them on the trip that work in Sweden even though their address is outside Sweden?

I know when I travel abroad I just take and use my normal cards without a problem.

If you're living abroad and visiting you'd probably already have a debit card, no need to open a new one for a visit. This is only relevant for Swish because it's not something someone living outside of Sweden would likely already have.

One example is flee markets, or different type of second hand. Christmas markets etc. Some do accept debit / credit cards but a lot is swish only.

For cards, depends on the bank. I know my bank at-least do send the card abroad to my current home and as long as i keep my digital authenticator ID (bank ID) i am able to access that, renew cards. Do most banking services etc.

I also managed to get a new bank authenticator by going to the embassy and get signed papers etc, however it took about 5 months or so if you don't have any cash that might become a issue. :)

Lots of smaller cafes or people running various stall style businesses only accept Swish, especially out the in more rural areas. I've been to a couple of smaller festivals where the only way to pay for a ticket at the 'door' was with Swish.

Plus of course any time you need to give money to an actual person and not a business.

I'm also a Swede living abroad. I have signed up with Swish using a non-Swedish phone number (but with Swedish bank account), it works fine in most cases. I do have an address though, but not in Sweden.

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