Betalingskanalen

Betalingskanalen is a Norwegian term that refers to the set of channels and infrastructures through which payment instructions are transmitted from payer to payee via financial institutions. It encompasses the full lifecycle of a payment: initiation, authorization, clearing, and settlement, and includes card networks, bank transfers, mobile wallets, online payment gateways, and point‑of‑sale devices.

How it works: A payer selects a channel (online checkout, card present at a merchant’s terminal, mobile app) to initiate a payment. The instruction is sent to the payer’s bank or payment service provider, where it is authenticated and authorized. After approval, the transaction is cleared and settled through appropriate settlement rails, either in real time or in batches, and funds are transferred to the merchant’s account.

Channels and technologies: Card payments at physical or virtual terminals, e-commerce payment pages, mobile wallets and QR/NFC-based payments, and bank-to-bank transfers (including real-time payment schemes). The landscape varies by country and is shaped by domestic infrastructures and international networks.

Security and regulation: Payment channels rely on data protection and fraud prevention measures such as encryption, tokenization, and two-factor authentication. Regulations include strong customer authentication requirements under PSD2 in the European Economic Area, PCI DSS compliance for card data, and local supervisory rules. Open banking initiatives influence payment initiation via APIs.

Trends and challenges: The shift toward real-time payments and open banking APIs, increased use of mobile wallets and in-app payments, and ongoing concerns about fraud, interoperability, and consumer protection. The effectiveness of a betalingskanal depends on reliability, speed, security, and interoperability among providers.