Vipps is Venmo or Zelle, but it's in Norway, and is used by about 75% of the adult population there. Vipps lets consumers make purchases, as well as pay friends, family and bills, without having to carry cash or credit cards. Instead, the app connects the user’s banking information to their mobile phone number.

For merchants, Vipps is a safer alternative than dealing with cash. Customers can pay through email address, phone number, or by scanning a QR code. Businesses that register can receive a special 5-digit Vipps number, to make transactions even easier.

Vipps Network owns Vipps, as well as PayID and Minibank. It’s a system of banks and other financial institutions that work together to make sure that the payments are processed quickly and securely, and is a member of the European Mobile Payment Systems Association.

The recipient of a Vipps transfer is never billed, and transfers under 5,000 Norwegian krones (NOKs) are free. Vipps charges the sender of larger transfers a 1% fee.

To register for an account, the user must have a Norwegian personal ID number (fødselnummer) and a Norwegian telephone number to associate with the account, as well as a Norwegian bank account.

Using Vipps is easy. Consumers simply need to download the app from the App Store or Google Play. The setup process will have them register with their phone number and email, and link a Norwegian bank account to the app.