Mobile payment services rose to the top of the financial sector in all Nordic countries

The Reputation&Trust " survey of the financial sector reveals that mobile payment services have risen to the top of the reputation rankings in all Nordic countries. In Finland, S-Bank received the second-highest rating after MobilePay, while Nordea and Alexandria saw the biggest increases in reputation.

Reputation and Trust Analytics’ “Financial Sector Reputation&Trust study examined the reputations of a total of 103 companies in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. In all four countries, mobile payment services received the highest reputation score.

In Finland and Denmark, MobilePay was rated the best, while in Norway it was Vipps. In Sweden, the country’s own payment service, Swish, emerged as the most reputable.

MobilePay, founded in Denmark, and Vipps, a Norwegian company, merged in 2022, and in 2024 they integrated their services onto a single platform.

“Nordic consumers clearly value the ease of payment that these services offer. In all four countries, payment services received higher ratings than traditional banks or insurance companies,” says Harri Leinikka, CEO of Reputation and Trust Analytics.

Vipps received the highest reputation score in Norway, at 4.13. MobilePay’s score was 3.86 in Finland and 3.83 in Denmark. Swish received a reputation score of 3.78 in Sweden.

“Norwegians clearly value Vipps the most. In Sweden, however, Vipps lags behind their own Swish service; Vipps’ reputation in the country is only moderate,” Leinikka notes.

Reputation&Trust, each organization is assigned a reputation score on a scale of 1 to 5. An organization’s reputation is considered excellent if its score is 4 or higher. A reputation is considered good if the score falls between 3.50 and 3.99.

Denmark has the strongest reputation for its central bank in the Nordic region

Looking at the results for all four countries, it is clear that Danmarks Nationalbank has the highest reputation score among the local central banks, at 3.72. Norges Bank’s reputation score of 3.58 is also quite good. The Bank of Finland’s reputation score of 3.37 and Sveriges Riksbank’s 3.26 are at a moderate level.

“In our Nordic comparison, Danes and Norwegians clearly trust their central banks more than Finns and Swedes do. The Danish central bank was the only one in the group to receive excellent ratings for its leadership. However, the biggest differences arise from how citizens perceive the central bank’s success in its role,” says Leinikka.

Finland's biggest rise in reputation at Nordea and Alexandria

A total of 26 financial services companies operating in Finland were surveyed.

“Nine of the companies surveyed saw an increase in their reputation that exceeded the margin of error, and at the same time, the industry’s average reputation has risen. This indicates that companies have improved their operations and have also succeeded in developing their communications: clarifying the role these organizations play in our society,” says Lauri Leppo, an expert at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

“The efforts of financial sector companies to modernize their services, strengthen engagement, and promote responsibility are reflected in the results of the reputation survey. The Finnish Financial Services Association has actively highlighted the modernization efforts of its member companies, particularly their work on responsibility. Young people have recognized that financial companies generate significant societal benefits and take environmental responsibility into account in their business operations,” says Tuomo Yli-Huttula, Director of Advocacy at the Finnish Financial Services Association.

In addition to MobilePay, the top three in Finland are last year’s number one, S-Pankki, with a reputation score of 3.79, and Nordnet, with a reputation score of 3.74.

“The biggest climbers this year are Nordea and Alexandria, both of which made impressive gains. Nordea improved its reputation score by as much as 0.26 points, and Alexandria by 0.2 points. These are significant increases over the course of a single year,” says Leppo.

The financial sector's rise in reputation continues

The overall reputation of the financial sector in Finland has clearly improved, and the sector’s reputation is now at its highest level since records began.

There is a strong statistical correlation between a rise in reputation and the behavior of the general public. As reputation scores rise, stakeholder support also grows.

“Support from stakeholders in the financial sector has reached a record high Reputation&Trust. This is driven in particular by an increase in the areas of reputation that reflect a company’s responsible operations: governance and responsibility. It is important that companies also know how to communicate their actions in these areas transparently,” says Leppo.

This is how we conducted the study

The aim of the Financial Sector Reputation&Trust survey was to assess the reputation of selected financial sector organizations and the industry itself among Finns, Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes. Data for the survey was collected via an online questionnaire between November 21 and December 31, 2025.

Organizations were evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics’ (formerly T-Media) Reputation&Trust, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different categories. These areas are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).

A total of 12,305 respondents in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark participated in the survey. The target group for the survey consisted of citizens aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands in Finland). The sample was weighted to be representative of each country’s population by gender, age, and region of residence.

For more information:

Harri Leinikka, CEO, Reputation and Trust Analytics, +358 40 505 5001, harri.leinikka@reptrust.com

Lauri Leppo, Specialist, Reputation and Trust Analytics, +358 50 433 6609, lauri.leppo@reptrust.com

Tuomo Yli-Huttula, Director, Finanssiala ry, +358 40 652 9118 tuomo.yli-huttula@finanssiala.fi