Mobile payment services rose to the top in reputation across all Nordic countries

Reputation and Trust Analytics' Financial Sector Reputation&Trust 2025 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 best reputation scores.

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

Denmark-founded MobilePay and Norwegian-origin Vipps merged in 2022, and in 2024, they combined their services onto the same platform.

"Nordic people clearly value the ease of payment that these services offer. Payment services received higher ratings in all four countries than traditional banks or insurance sector operators," says Harri Leinikka, CEO of Reputation and Trust Analytics.

The highest reputation score was Vipps in Norway, at 4.13. MobilePay's scores in Finland and Denmark were 3.86 and 3.83, respectively. Swish received a reputation score of 3.78 in Sweden.

"Norwegians clearly value Vipps the most. In Sweden, however, Vipps falls behind Sweden’s own Swish service; Vipps' reputation in the country is at a moderate level," Leinikka notes.

In the Reputation&Trust model, each organization is assigned a reputation score on a scale of 1–5. An organization's reputation is at an excellent level if its reputation score is at least 4. The reputation is at a good level if the score is between 3.50 and 3.99.

The most reputable companies in the Nordics

Denmark has the strongest central bank reputation in the Nordic region

When examining the results from all four countries, it can be seen that among local central banks, Danmarks Nationalbank receives the best reputation score, 3.72, and follows the top-ranked MobilePay closely.

Norges Bank's reputation score of 3.58 also reaches a good level. The Bank of Finland's reputation score of 3.37 and Sveriges Riksbank's 3.26 are at moderate levels.

"In our Nordic comparison, Danish and Norwegian citizens trust their central banks significantly more than their Finnish and Swedish counterparts. The Danish central bank was the only one in the group to receive excellent ratings for leadership. However, the biggest differences emerge from how citizens perceive their central bank's success in its role", Leinikka states.

Just under one-third of the studied companies in Denmark enjoy a strong overall reputation. On top of MobilePay and Danmarks Nationalbank – Sparekassen Danmark, Nykredit, and Arbejdernes Landsbank are found in this group.

Among those with a moderate reputation, we find, for example, Sydbank, Jyske Bank, Saxo Bank, and Nordea.

The banking sector’s reputation structure in Denmark

However, the overall reputation of the Danish banking sector is at a poor level, albeit marginally. The sector in Denmark reaches an aggregate score of 2.97 on a five-point scale. In the Reputation&Trust study model, reputation is at a poor level if it’s below 3.00.

Also, a clear imbalance emerges in how the banking sector is perceived. The industry performs strongest in the reputation dimensions Financial Performance and Workplace, where it is viewed as a sector with solid economic sustainability and at least moderate employer attractiveness.

The most pronounced weaknesses, however, are found within Governance and Responsibility. This indicates a more critical stance toward transparency and governance, as well as a perception that the financial sector does not fully meet expectations regarding societal responsibility.

“Stakeholder support rarely declines because of products; it is far more often undermined by concerns about accountability, transparency, and governance — perceptions that directly shape organizational preference and advocacy,” says Fredric Hammarström, Senior Advisor at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

How we conducted the research

The goal of the Financial Sector Reputation&Trust 2025 research was to examine the reputation of companies operating in the Nordic countries and the general reputation of the sector among citizens. Data collection was carried out through an electronic survey in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark from 21.11. to 31.12.2025.

Organizations were evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics' Reputation&Trust research model, where an organization's reputation score is formed as an average of eight different areas. The areas are corporate governance, finance, management, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).

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