Short answer
The offline digital euro is a proposed mode in which you first load digital euros from your bank onto a secure chip in your phone or card, then pay someone nearby by tapping devices, with no internet connection. Settlement would happen on the devices, and details would stay between payer and payee. It is not available: the digital euro has not been issued.
What is the offline digital euro?
The ECB describes the offline digital euro as "comparable to a bearer instrument": funds that can be spent without connectivity for payer and payee, that can be "immediately re-spent offline", and whose final settlement "occurs locally" on the devices, with funding and deposits done online through payment providers (ECB, "The offline digital euro", ERPB, 9 April 2026). In plain terms: it is the part of the digital euro designed to behave most like coins and notes in a wallet, and digital euro offline payments are the feature that most clearly separates it from today's card and transfer options.
Three clarifications prevent common confusion:
- It is not decentralised money. The ECB answers this directly: although offline transactions occur locally, the offline digital euro is "centrally issued and centrally governed by the Eurosystem" (same presentation).
- You do not have to be offline to use it. The ECB says the absence of connectivity is not a requirement; people may choose the offline mode for other reasons, such as privacy.
- It is not an offline version of a bank transfer. A bank payment that is queued until the network returns is a different thing. Offline digital euro value moves between devices at once, and the receiver can spend it again straight away.
Offline use is in every legislative text: the Commission's proposal, the Council's position of 19 December 2025, which says the digital euro would be "available online or offline and therefore usable even without an internet connection" (Council press release), and the European Parliament's mandate, which describes offline as working like cash (EP press release, 23 June 2026). The digital euro as a whole is explained in our overview.
Why have an offline mode at all?
The official rationale has three strands. Resilience: the ECB says offline functionality keeps the digital euro usable during connectivity problems or power outages (ECB FAQ), and the Council's position links the digital euro to the resilience of the euro area's payment infrastructure. Privacy: it is the only part of the design in which no intermediary sees the payment. Inclusion: a card-based offline option could serve people who do not use smartphones; the ECB listed possible support for digital financial inclusion among the advantages of a battery-powered card in 2024, while also noting its higher cost.
There are counter-arguments. A device that must be loaded online in advance is less useful in a sudden, long outage than cash already in a pocket, and every offline balance is a balance that can be lost. The ECB itself has not presented the offline digital euro as a substitute for cash: the proposals keep cash as legal tender alongside it, as our legislation page explains.
How would an offline digital euro payment work?
This step-by-step flow combines the ECB's 2024 and 2026 presentations, the draft scheme rulebook and the pilot FAQ. It describes a proposed design; the rulebook itself says standards for the offline solution "are still being defined".
- Activate an offline device. Your PSP (bank or payment provider) enables one offline device for you: the secure element in your phone, or a card. Under the draft rulebook an individual can have only one offline device (ECB rulebook v0.91, AM-011-002).
- Fund it (online). You move money onto the device from your online digital euro balance, from your ordinary bank account, or from cash at an ATM. Automated top-ups can trigger whenever the device comes online. This step is identified: your PSP runs its anti-money-laundering checks here.
- Pay (offline). You open the PSP's app or the ECB's digital euro app, choose "transfer", enter the amount and confirm with the phone's own authentication. The two devices exchange the payment over NFC and both balances update. No bank, no ECB server and no network is involved.
- Re-spend (offline). The person you paid can spend the same money offline right away, without reconnecting first (ECB pilot FAQ).
- Defund (online). When you want the money back in your account, or a shop's device connects, the balance is returned through your PSP. At this point the Eurosystem checks that the returned value is genuine, as a defence against forgery and double spending.
Behind the scenes: three components
| Component | Where it runs | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Offline issuance component | Eurosystem | Issues and redeems offline digital euro against the PSP's central bank account; tracks the total in circulation |
| Offline distribution component | Each PSP's back end | Funds and defunds devices, manages device life cycle, sets limits; not involved in payments themselves |
| Offline applet and SDK | Your device's secure element and app | Stores value securely, debits and credits it, talks to the other device |
Source: ECB, ERPB presentation, 9 April 2026.
Which devices could hold an offline digital euro wallet?
| Form factor (draft rulebook and ECB 2024) | Person-to-person | In a shop | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone with embedded secure element or SIM | Yes, tap phones over NFC | Yes, contactless at a terminal | Depends on access to NFC and secure element, which some phone makers restrict |
| Physical smart card | Only with a bridge device | Yes, contact or contactless | Needs an ATM, phone or terminal to load and unload |
| Battery-powered card | Yes, card to card | Yes | Higher cost; the ECB flagged uncertain sustainability and reliability |
| Bridge device | Connects two unpowered cards | Not needed | Pocket-sized, battery-powered accessory |
Sources: ECB, "State of play on offline digital euro", 11 April 2024; rulebook v0.91, section 1.6.
The phone question is practical, not technical trivia. In 2024 the ECB wrote that delivery of offline payments on mobile phones was "conditional" on access to NFC and secure elements, which were "currently restricted by some mobile device manufacturers". The Council's position responds with a framework to give providers of digital euro interfaces access to device makers' hardware and software (Council, 19 December 2025). For the 2027 pilot, the Eurosystem provides an SDK for both Android and iOS and the secure-element software, including double-spending protection (ECB pilot FAQ).
How the offline function fits into the wider app and account set-up is described on our digital euro wallet page.
Online, offline and cash compared
| Feature | Online digital euro (proposed) | Offline digital euro (proposed) | Euro cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needs a network at payment time | Yes | No | No |
| Needs a device | Phone, card or computer | Phone or card with secure chip | No |
| Distance | Any, including e-commerce | Proximity only | Hand to hand |
| Who sees payment details | Your PSP; Eurosystem sees pseudonymised data | Payer and payee only | Payer and payee |
| Where checks happen | At payment | At funding and defunding | At withdrawal and deposit |
| Fees for individuals | Basic use free (proposed) | Free; Parliament wants offline "entirely fee-free" | Free to use |
| Lost device | Block and recover via your PSP | Money on the device is lost | Lost cash is lost |
| Limits | Holding limit (amount not set) | Device holding limit and transaction limits expected (amounts not set) | None for holding |
| Available today | No | No | Yes |
Sources: ECB FAQ; EP press release, 23 June 2026; Bundesbank FAQ.
How much could you hold or pay offline?
No figure has been set. What the documents say:
- Device holding limit. The draft rulebook gives every offline device a holding limit that "can never be exceeded", and says the total an individual holds must never exceed that individual's overall limit (LM-011-001 and LM-011-003). A business's offline device must defund down to a set threshold as soon as it has a connection (LM-012-002).
- Transaction and holding caps for anti-money-laundering. The Bundesbank says offline payments "will have a transaction limit" to address money laundering and terrorist financing risks (Bundesbank FAQ). The CNIL notes that under Article 37 of the proposal a cap for offline transactions and holdings would be adopted after consulting the EDPB, and that the figure is "yet to be determined" (CNIL, 26 May 2026).
- In negotiation. Press reporting on the fifth political trilogue (20 October 2026) says limits on offline payments were on the table; no outcome has been published (Agence Europe, 20 October 2026).
- In the pilot. The ECB says holding limits will apply and amounts will be communicated closer to the pilot launch (ECB pilot FAQ).
The €3,000 figure sometimes quoted is the upper end of hypothetical overall holding limits the ECB analysed at the co-legislators' request; it is not an offline limit and not a decision. Who sets the overall limit is covered on our legislation page.
Offline privacy and anti-money-laundering checks
Offline payments are the most private part of the design: personal transaction details would be known only to payer and payee (ECB FAQ). Checks move to the moment money enters or leaves the device. According to the ECB's 2024 presentation, the PSP's check at funding and defunding sees the amount, the device identifier, the date and time, and the online account used; the Eurosystem receives minimum data to detect forgery and double spending, which would not identify individuals. The full picture of who sees what, online and offline, and what the EDPB and EDPS have asked for, is on our digital euro privacy page.
What if you lose your phone or card?
Treat offline digital euros like cash in a purse. The European Parliament committee's text is explicit: losing the device means losing the money, with no refund (EP press release, 23 June 2026). The draft rulebook adds that you can block the device with your PSP, and that a device reported lost or stolen is disabled when it next connects online (AM-020-003). That stops further use once it reconnects, but it does not restore value that was spent or stuck on the device while it was offline.
Two practical conclusions follow. Keep only small amounts offline. And use online payments, where your balance is recorded by your PSP, for anything you could not afford to lose.
How is double spending prevented?
The risk with any offline money is that someone copies value and spends it twice before anyone can check. The ECB's design relies on two layers (ECB, 11 April 2024):
- Tamper-resistant hardware. The secure element protects stored value and lets two devices check each other's authenticity.
- Online reconciliation. When offline money is defunded, its authenticity is checked: the ECB calls this the "ultimate line of defence".
Critics doubt the first layer. A January 2026 academic paper argues that hardware under the owner's physical control cannot be kept secure against a motivated attacker, and that fraud would surface only at delayed defunding (Cannataci et al., arXiv). The Parliament, for its part, wants the ECB to settle liability rules for offline risks such as double spending before any launch (EP, 23 June 2026). Liability for offline fraud is therefore an open point, not a solved one.
Who is building the offline solution, and when?
- Single vendor. To shorten delivery, the ECB chose a single-vendor approach that provides a production-ready solution for all PSPs, rather than many competing implementations (ECB, April 2024).
- Selected provider. Giesecke+Devrient is the first-ranked provider for the offline solution under the framework agreements of 2 October 2025, with equensWorldline second (ECB news, updated 15 October 2025). The agreements involve no payment at this stage.
- Pilot scope. The 2027 pilot will test offline person-to-person payments via NFC between phones. NFC payments at a shop terminal in the pilot are classed as online, because both devices must be connected (ECB pilot FAQ). Offline in-store payments are therefore not part of what the pilot proves.
- Terminals. The ECB has said offline acceptance should be facilitated at point-of-sale terminals across the euro area, that one application will not fit all terminal types, and that "some very old terminals might require replacement" (ECB, April 2024).
Pilot participants, dates and selection are on our pilot page; the conditional 2029 issuance goal is on our timeline.
Worked example: a weekend with no signal
An illustration of how digital euro offline transactions would chain together under the proposed rules, with invented amounts. No offline limit exists; we assume €150 purely for the example.
| When | What happens | Ana's offline balance | Ben's offline balance | Who records it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, online | Ana loads €120 from her bank account to her phone | €120 | €0 | Ana's PSP: amount, device, time, account |
| Saturday, no signal | Ana pays Ben €30 for a shared taxi, phones tapped | €90 | €30 | Only Ana's and Ben's phones |
| Saturday, no signal | Ben pays a market stall €12 from what he received | €90 | €18 | Only the two devices |
| Sunday | Ana's phone is stolen | €90 lost | €18 | Ana blocks the device with her PSP |
| Monday, online | Ben moves his €18 to his account | — | €0 | Ben's PSP and a Eurosystem authenticity check without identity |
The example shows the trade-off in one line: the taxi and the market purchase left no record outside the two devices, and the €90 on the stolen phone is gone. That is how cash behaves too.
What is confirmed, proposed and unknown?
| Status | Offline item |
|---|---|
| Confirmed fact | No offline digital euro exists. The ECB has a framework agreement with Giesecke+Devrient. The pilot will test offline P2P via NFC, with an SDK for Android and iOS. |
| Proposed | Offline mode at first issuance; cash-like privacy; checks at funding and defunding; one offline device per person; lost device means lost money (Parliament); offline fee-free (Parliament); access to phone hardware (Council). |
| Unknown | Offline holding and transaction limits; liability for double spending; terminal standards and which old terminals need replacing; offline payments at shops; final rulebook specifications. |
Practical guidance
For individuals: nothing to do yet. If you are offered an "offline digital euro card" or app today, it is not the ECB's. Once a real service exists, check your device's offline limit, keep small amounts, and learn how to block the device.
For merchants: offline acceptance would come through your acquirer's terminal or app, not from the ECB. Ask your provider, when standards are final, whether your terminal can accept offline digital euro and how offline receipts are reported. Under the draft rulebook a business device defunds as soon as it connects, so offline sales would arrive in your account later than online ones, which matters for matching takings to sales. Our guide for businesses covers acceptance duties and fees.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the digital euro without internet?
That is the purpose of the proposed offline mode, once you have loaded money onto your device while online. It is not available today: the digital euro has not been issued.
Is the offline digital euro anonymous?
It would offer cash-like privacy for the payment itself, known only to payer and payee. Loading and unloading the device would go through your identified account, so it is private rather than fully anonymous.
Does the offline digital euro work on iPhone?
For the pilot, the ECB says it provides an SDK for both Android and iOS. Wider availability depends on access to phone hardware, which the Council's position seeks to guarantee.
What happens to offline money if my phone breaks?
Under the Parliament's position, offline digital euros on a lost or destroyed device are lost, as with cash. Keep offline balances small.
Can I pay online shops with offline digital euros?
No. Offline payments work only between devices close to each other. Online shopping would use the online digital euro.
Will the offline digital euro be available from launch?
All three legislative texts include offline use, and the Commission proposal foresees both modalities from the first issuance. There is no issuance date, and the final law could change the details.
Sources
- ECB, "The offline digital euro", ERPB presentation, 9 April 2026 (PDF) (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB, "State of play on offline digital euro", 11th ERPB technical session, 11 April 2024 (PDF) (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB, Draft digital euro scheme rulebook v0.91, 2 July 2026 (PDF) (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB, FAQs on the digital euro pilot (updated 28 October 2026) (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB, FAQs on the digital euro (updated 17 August 2026) (accessed 5 November 2026)
- ECB, "ECB selects digital euro service providers", 2 October 2025 (updated 15 October 2025) (accessed 5 November 2026)
- Council of the EU, Council agrees position on the digital euro, 19 December 2025 (accessed 5 November 2026)
- European Parliament, ECON committee press release on the digital euro, 23 June 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026)
- Deutsche Bundesbank, FAQ – Digital euro (accessed 5 November 2026)
- CNIL, "Confidentiality in the Digital Euro: Where are we?", 26 May 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026)
- EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 02/2023, 17 October 2023 (PDF) (accessed 5 November 2026)
- Critical secondary source: J. Cannataci et al., "Digital Euro: Frequently Asked Questions Revisited", arXiv:2601.18644, January 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026)
- Secondary (press report, trilogue content only): Agence Europe, 20 October 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026)