The expert’s sense and etiquette for swishande

More than a third of Swedes find it awkward to ask friends and acquaintances about swish after, for example, a visit to a restaurant. Magnus Hjelmér, everyday economist at Ica Banken, gives his best tips on how to proceed and also teaches swish customs.
– There are those who always evade payment, he says.

Apps like Swish have become increasingly common, and with it new situations arise in everyday life. It is not always easy to ask for money back, at least 35 percent of Swedes think so. The survey, carried out by Kantar Sifo on behalf of Ica Banken, shows that twice as many young people compared to older people find it difficult to ask for swish.

– Maybe it feels a little shameful to ask for swish for small sums. I’m thinking that 50 bucks or above might feel reasonable. But then there is also a little context, says Magnus Hjelmér.

“Send a request”

To make it easier to ask friends and family for money, Magnus Hjelmér advises sending a swish request, a function found in the app. You can also agree beforehand how to settle the payment.

– In a way, it is perhaps easier to slip away these days, it depends on which friends you have – I think everyone has an Ove in their social circle, he says.

Another common dilemma that can arise is whether to round up when swishing or send over the exact amount.

– If you owe SEK 98, I would have sent over SEK 100, you can see the tip to the person who took the bill, says the everyday economist.

“Take personal responsibility”

Magnus Hjelmér emphasizes that he thinks it is important that people take personal responsibility for passing on what they owe.

– What if everyone who owed money asked a question, “should we solve this right away?”. Then we would never have to ask for that swish, says Magnus Hjelmér.