How do people in Malta pay online?
Seven in ten Maltese shop online. Eurostat puts the share of people who bought something online in the previous 12 months at 71.38% in 2025, close to the EU average of 73.56%.
Cards lead. In the ECB’s 2024 survey of consumer payments (SPACE), cards made 52.8% of Maltese consumers’ online payments by number, above the euro area figure of 48%. E-payment solutions, which the ECB defines as payment wallets, PayPal and other mobile apps, made 23.3%. Credit transfers made 5.7% and instant payments 7.0%.
Online and in-store habits differ. In the same survey, cash made 67% of payments at the point of sale by number, the highest share in the euro area, where the average was 52%. Online, the same consumers pay mostly by card or app.
Apple Pay and Google Pay are both available in Malta, according to Apple’s and Google’s own country lists, so shoppers can pay with a stored card from their phone.
What rules shape online payments in Malta?
VAT is 18%. PwC lists reduced rates of 12% for items such as custody of securities and some healthcare services, 7% for eligible accommodation, and 5% for supplies such as electricity, certain confectionery and printed matter. A seller established in another EU country whose cross-border sales to consumers pass EUR 10,000 a year charges Maltese VAT and can declare it through the One Stop Shop. PwC also notes that Malta is expected to transpose the EU’s VAT in the Digital Age package, which brings mandatory e-invoicing and digital reporting, with no fixed date yet.
Shoppers have 14 days to withdraw. Under EU consumer rules, the period for goods runs from the day of delivery. Since 19 June 2026 online shops must also offer an electronic withdrawal function under Directive (EU) 2023/2673.
Card payments need strong customer authentication and cannot carry a surcharge. Your Europe explains that online payments above EUR 30 need at least two authentication elements and that sellers may not charge extra for paying by credit or debit card.
Instant payments are standard. Under the EU Instant Payments Regulation, euro area banks must receive instant transfers since 9 January 2025 and send them, with a check of the payee’s name against the IBAN, since 9 October 2025, at no higher price than a standard transfer.
Personal data falls under the GDPR, supervised in Malta by the Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner.
How would Omno route payments in Malta?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, amount and customer group. In Malta:
- Card pay-ins would follow rules by BIN, currency and amount, with cascading: if a provider is unavailable or rejects the request, the payment moves to the next provider in the rule until one accepts.
- PayPal would go to a provider that supports it, with the result confirmed by webhook rather than by the shopper’s return to the store.
- Apple Pay and Google Pay would be shown in the hosted checkout through providers that support them, next to the card form.
- Bank transfers would go to a provider that supports them, with rules by amount or customer group.
The routing-decision log would show which provider handled each payment and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for cards first. They carry more than half of the online payments Maltese consumers make.
Plan for PayPal. Almost one online payment in four goes through an e-payment app, so a checkout without one leaves a gap.
Plan for the withdrawal button. Add the online withdrawal function required since 19 June 2026 to the order pages.
Plan for VAT at 18%. Check whether your EU sales pass the EUR 10,000 threshold and register for the One Stop Shop if they do.