{"id":110555,"date":"2026-09-09T14:33:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T12:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ga.agency\/?post_type=blog&p=110555"},"modified":"2026-09-09T16:43:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:43:00","slug":"portugal-mb-way-checkout","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/ga.agency\/en\/blog\/portugal-mb-way-checkout\/","title":{"rendered":"Phone Numbers Over Cards: Why Portugal\u2019s Checkout Process Is Different"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Most checkout flows are still built around a 16-digit card number as the first move. Portugal skipped that step: MB WAY lets shoppers pay with the phone number they already have memorised, confirmed inside an app most people already have, no card details typed at any point. This is the primary way most Portuguese check out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the second episode of The Local Lens, GA’s series on what actually shapes performance in each market, sourced from our own in-country teams rather than desk research. This time the insights come from our Portuguese team, on what happens at the exact moment a Portuguese shopper decides whether to trust a checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>The Portuguese Pattern<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Portuguese shoppers pay with their phone number. MB WAY<\/strong>, a mobile payment method linked to Multibanco<\/strong> (Portugal’s national ATM and payment reference network), lets customers initiate a purchase with a phone number and confirm it inside the MB WAY app, with no card details typed at any point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scale is the part most international teams underestimate: MB WAY is used by over six million people and accounts for close to 45% of the country’s online transactions (Paynopain<\/a>). By contrast, cards are used by only around 26% of online shoppers (GetNet<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The takeaway:<\/strong> Because it is faster and minimises friction, MB Way replaces the default card-first checkout as the primary payment path in Portugal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Why it happens<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Multibanco is the trusted backbone behind MB WAY – with 23 million cards in circulation in a country of under 11 million people, it\u2019s a sign of how deeply the network is woven into everyday financial life, closer to a shared national utility than a financial product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A checkout that doesn’t reflect the importance of Multibanco runs the risk of losing their audience at a vital stage in the conversion funnel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>What this changes for brands operating there<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n