Slovakia sees surge in digital card fees and QR payment usage

Slovak banks are beginning to charge fees for physical payment cards as the use of digital and virtual cards accelerates. The Slovak Association of Payment Cards reported more than 2.1 million active digital cards in November, a 34 % year‑on‑year increase, prompting banks to push customers toward cheaper mobile wallet solutions.

QR code payments are also expanding rapidly. In the first half of June, consumers performed over 30,000 QR transactions worth more than €1 million, with a record day on 11 June when more than 3,100 payments totaled around €160 000. The growth is driven by the simplicity of scanning a code and confirming payment via a banking app. Several banks—including Slovenská sporiteľňa, Tatra Banka, VÚB, ČSOB, Prima Banka and the State Treasury—provide instant notification services for merchants. By 10 June, the number of virtual cash registers surpassed 175 000, and the free VRP2 app had over 59 300 active users, facilitating QR generation and real‑time payment tracking for small businesses.