Payment Methods in Italy in 2025: A Guide for Online Merchants

Italy’s digital payments market continues to grow despite economic headwinds, with GlobalData forecasting card transaction value to reach €443.7 billion by the end of 2025. At the same time, Italian consumers are embracing new ways to pay online, expecting a blend of security, speed and convenience. For merchants entering Italy or expanding locally, understanding which payment methods reign supreme is vital for reducing checkout friction and boosting conversion rates. In this guide, we review the most popular online payment methods in Italy, examine the rise of open banking, and explain why Noda may be the perfect payment gateway for your e‑commerce business.

Italy’s Digital Payments Landscape

Online shopping in Italy has surged, with consumers now comfortable paying via mobile, web and novelty payment methods like Satispay and Bancomat Pay. Regulatory changes under Europe’s PSD2 have also paved the way for secure open banking services, giving shoppers more direct and cost-effective ways to pay. As merchants adapt to local preferences, offering a mix of global and domestic payment options has become essential.

With the market driven by broad credit and debit card use and expanding mobile wallet adoption and the introduction of instant bank transfers, e-commerce merchants operating in Italy must understand that picking the right blend of payment methods will be key to success and preventing cart abandonment. Below, we present and analyse the most popular online payment methods in Italy and decide which ones are the best fit for online merchants in 2025.

Top 4 Payment Methods in Italy

1. Credit and Debit Card Payments

Among the most popular payment methods in Italy, Visa and Mastercard dominate online card purchases. According to Statista, debit and credit cards accounted for, respectively, around 36% and 42% of online transaction volume in 2025. While cards provide familiarity and convenience, merchants offering payments in Italy must consider processing fees, chargeback risks, and the need for strong fraud prevention.

Domestic debit schemes also remain widely used Italian payment methods. PagoBANCOMAT is Italy’s national debit card scheme, operated by Bancomat S.p.A., and is the most widely used card network in the country. It was originally designed for ATM and point of sale use but has since expanded to support online and mobile payments through services like PagoBANCOMAT Web and Bancomat Pay. The system connects hundreds of Italian banks, making it a key part of the country’s payment infrastructure.

2. PayPal

PayPal continues to be a popular payment method in Italy, especially popular with both domestic and international customers. Its one-click checkout and buyer protection features significantly boost conversion rates. However, its higher transaction fees compared to direct card or bank payments mean merchants often treat PayPal as a secondary or premium option within their payment gateway setup offered to Italian customers.

3. Digital Wallets

Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are growing rapidly as common payment methods in Italy, particularly among younger consumers and on mobile devices. Challenger wallets such as Revolut and Satispay have also seen rapid adoption. Revolut reports over three million Italian users as of 2024, while Satispay’s mobile-first design appeals to shoppers looking for peer-to-peer transfers and easy in-app payments. Merchants integrating these top payment methods in Italy through payment links or plugin modules can meet consumer demand for fast and secure checkouts.

4. Direct Debit

Direct debit is a common payment method in Italy, especially for recurring transactions such as subscriptions, utility bills, and memberships. It allows merchants to collect payments automatically from a customer’s bank account with prior authorisation, making it a convenient option for both businesses and consumers. Widely trusted for regular billing, direct debit supports long-term customer relationships and helps reduce payment delays, making it a valuable addition to any payment gateway in Italy.

Local and Emerging Payment Systems

1. Satispay

Satispay is one of Italy’s most popular mobile wallets, and one of the most popular payment methods used in Italy on the whole, with 3.5 million users and a year-on-year growth rate of 50%. Unlike card-based systems, Satispay connects directly to users’ bank accounts and enables various payment activities, including peer-to-peer transfers, online and in-store purchases via QR codes, mobile top-ups, and even public service payments such as taxes and fines. It is used by over 17,000 online merchants, with users averaging 9.4 transactions per month, suggesting a high level of regular engagement. However, its reliance on QR codes for physical payments may limit adoption among less tech-savvy users or those without smartphones.

2. Bancomat Pay

BANCOMAT Pay is an account-to-account payment system offered by the same company behind Italy’s national debit card scheme, PagoBANCOMAT. It allows users to send and receive payments through a mobile app by linking directly to their bank accounts, similar to other European systems like Swish in Sweden or Twint in Switzerland. Users can enter their phone number to initiate a payment and confirm it using a PIN or biometric check. With real-time processing, support for refunds and chargebacks, and no upper payment limit, BANCOMAT Pay is becoming one of the most popular online payment methods in Italy.

3. Bollettino Postale Online

Bollettino Postale remains a staple for paying bills and utilities in Italy. Its digital version permits online settlement of postal bulletins, catering to segments of the population that still rely on postal services for recurring payments.

4. Cryptocurrency Payments

While still niche, cryptocurrency acceptance is growing among tech‑savvy merchants. Platforms can enable payments in Bitcoin and major altcoins, appealing to customers seeking decentralised and borderless transactions. Volatility and regulatory uncertainty mean crypto remains a supplementary rather than primary method.

5. Open Banking

Open banking is gradually becoming one of the more common payment methods in Italy, providing a modern alternative to cards and traditional bank transfers. Although adoption has been relatively slow, nearly 52 % of Italians now use online banking and interest is steadily increasing, particularly as more banks adopt secure API integrations under PSD2 regulation. For merchants, this presents the opportunity to accept instant account-to-account payments that are more cost-effective, settle more quickly than card transactions, and carry a lower risk of chargebacks, making open banking one of the best online payment methods in Italy

SEPA credit transfers, traditionally used for high-value or B2B payments, are now being adapted for online checkout through open banking. Instant SEPA transfers, supported by most major Italian banks, settle in seconds and are ideal for e-commerce. Recently, SEPA payments have been steadily on the rise, highlighting strong consumer confidence in this PSD2-compliant solution for subscriptions, utilities, and membership billing. Meanwhile, SEPA direct debits remain a trusted option for recurring payments like subscriptions and utilities, thanks to PSD2-compliant e-mandates that allow merchants to collect payments with a single authorisation.

As account-to-account payments become more visible in Italian e-commerce, platforms such as Noda make it simple for merchants to accept local bank payments in real time. With direct connections to leading Italian banks including UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo, Noda helps businesses streamline the checkout process, reduce transaction costs, and respond to the growing demand for fast and secure online payments.

Choosing a Payment Gateway in Italy

When choosing a payment gateway for Italy, merchants should prioritise multi-rail support that includes cards, digital wallets, open banking, and popular local options like Satispay. It is essential that the gateway complies with PSD2 regulations and incorporates strong customer authentication to meet legal requirements. Additionally, advanced fraud prevention measures and efficient chargeback management are crucial to protect both merchants and customers.

Integration ease is another key factor, with developer-friendly APIs or plug-and-play modules available for popular platforms such as WooCommerce and Magento. Merchants should also consider transparent fee structures alongside next-day or instant settlement options to maintain healthy cash flow.

One provider that stands out is Noda, which offers a unified integration combining pan-European open banking rails with card and wallet acceptance, simplifying payment processing for businesses.

Introducing Noda for Italy

Noda is the online merchant’s gateway to modern payment methods in Italy and beyond. Key benefits include:

1. Broad bank connectivity
   Connect to a wide network of 2000+ European banks in 28 countries through a single, unified integration.
2. Low transaction costs
   Benefit from highly competitive fees (from 0.1% per transaction) that help you maintain strong margins.
3. Fast settlement
   Receive funds in seconds via instant account-to-account transfers – no intermediaries, no delays.
4. Quick integration
   Launch effortlessly with plugins for the leading e-commerce platforms (WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart, and PrestaShop), or build a custom solution via our flexible API.
5. All-in-one payments
   Offer open banking, cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and more, seamlessly in one platform.

5. No-code solutions
   Generate payment links and QR codes instantly – accept bank payments without a website or any integrations required. 
6. Personalised support
   An ongoing personal manager support to ensure your success.

Contact Noda for a no-obligation demo. Our open banking experts will be happy to look into your unique business case.