Am I allowed to pay with cash in Norway?
Yes — you have a right to pay with cash. Under Financial Contracts Act §2-1 a consumer has the right to pay with cash at a business that sells goods or services to consumers at a fixed sales location, for amounts up to 20,000 kr. Norges Bank's notes and coins are legal tender under Central Bank Act §3-5, and from 1 May 2025 a business that unlawfully refuses cash risks an infringement fine. Two things surprise people: the right does not cover pure online sales or unmanned machines, and in the other direction sits a quite different limit — a dealer may not accept cash payments of 40,000 kr or more under the anti-money-laundering law.
📋 The rules
- A consumer has the right to pay with cash at fixed sales locations
- The right applies to amounts up to 20,000 kr
- Cash is legal tender (Central Bank Act §3-5)
- From 1 May 2025: refusal can bring an infringement fine
- A dealer cannot accept cash of 40,000 kr or more
🔓 Exceptions
- Unmanned machines and pure online sales are exempt from the cash duty
- Sales locations that cannot handle cash safely may in some cases be exempt
- The 40,000-kr limit applies only to dealers in goods
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The sanction hits the business, not you. A company that unlawfully refuses a consumer the right to pay cash risks an infringement fine from 1 May 2025 — the right was strengthened in 2024 precisely because a "card only" sign carried no consequence before. In the other direction runs a limit few people know: a dealer who accepts 40,000 kr or more in cash breaches the anti-money-laundering law and can be fined, so you may not be allowed to pay cash even if you want to. And the exceptions are real: unmanned machines and pure online sales are not covered by the cash duty at all.
📎 Official sources
- Norges Bank · The right to pay with cash →
- Prop. 55 L (2023–2024) · Government →
- Anti-Money-Laundering Act §5 · Lovdata →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I pay with cash?
Yes. You have a right to pay with cash at fixed sales locations for amounts up to 20,000 kr, under Financial Contracts Act §2-1. The right covers businesses selling goods or services to consumers.
Can a shop refuse to accept cash?
As a main rule no. From 1 May 2025 a business that unlawfully refuses cash risks an infringement fine, so a "card only" sign at a fixed sales location is not enough to set your right aside.
Is there an upper limit for cash payment?
Yes, and there are two of them. The right to pay cash applies up to 20,000 kr, and a dealer cannot accept cash of 40,000 kr or more in any case, because that would breach the anti-money-laundering law.
Does the right apply online?
No. The right applies at fixed physical sales locations, not to pure online sales or unmanned machines. A sales location that cannot handle cash safely may in some cases also be exempt.
Is cash legal tender?
Yes. Norges Bank's notes and coins are legal tender under Central Bank Act §3-5. But legal tender and the right to pay cash are two different rules — it is the Financial Contracts Act that gives you the right in the shop.
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