The SZÉP card will also be available in digital form from 2025

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 12. 11. 12:17

From September 1, 2025, a significant change will come into effect in the use of the SZÉP card: in addition to the usual plastic card, the device will also be available in digital form. According to the Economx report, in line with the demand for cashless payments, the government has amended the regulations of the Széchenyi Pihenő Card, allowing users to pay using their phones.

Behind the switch

The introduction of the digital SZÉP card was already on the agenda. Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy announced the plans in the fall of 2024 as part of a 14 + 2-point tourism package, which included the creation of a digital payment option. According to the decision published in the Hungarian Gazette, issuers must provide a solution that also works via an electronic point-of-sale terminal and allows cardholders to make direct payment orders.

K&H Bank has already introduced the digital version, so the system will not be completely unfamiliar to many users. However, the universal digital card will be available to everyone in the fall of 2025.

Further changes to the SZÉP card

In addition to the new digital options, the amount of benefits available on the SZÉP card will also increase. From 2025, a new pocket will appear on every card, the “Active Hungarians” account, into which the employer can transfer 10 thousand forints per month. This will increase the annual maximum limit from 450 thousand to 570 thousand forints.