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What do I do?
Preparing for incidents and crises

To get the best help for your situation, first answer the questions on the guide's start page.

  1. Guide's start page
  2. How to prepare for incidents and crises
    1. Why is preparedness important?
    2. General instructions on preparedness, home emergency supplies and on what to do in different situations
    3. Epidemics and pandemics
    4. Information influence and hybrid influence activities
    5. Cyberattacks or cyber incidents
    6. Wildfires and major building fires
    7. Disruptions in payment systems
      1. How do I prepare for disruptions in payment services?
      2. What should I do during a disruption in payment or banking services?
    8. Storms and floods
    9. Military conflicts and civil defence
    10. Power cut
    11. Radiation hazards
    12. Terrorism
    13. Disruptions in communications infrastructure
    14. Spreading of dangerous substances into the environment
    15. Water outage and water contamination
    16. Maintaining your functional capacity during a crisis
  3. Preparedness is about cooperation
  4. Preparedness instructions in print and in sign languages
  5. Checklist for preparing for incidents and crises

Disruptions in payment systems

How do I prepare for disruptions in payment services?

To prepare for disruptions in payment and banking services:

  • Make sure you have enough cash to purchase essential everyday supplies for a few days without a debit or credit card.
  • Open an account in two different banks and keep debit cards ready for use.
  • Enable some instant payment mobile app.
  • In addition to online identification, activate a mobile certificate or a citizen certificate for strong identification.
  • Keep your contact information up to date in the bank and the Population Information System and check that any ID documents you have been issued are up to date.

Read more about the home emergency kit for payments at the website of the Bank of Finland.Opens in a new window.

Updated: 2/9/2025

What should I do during a disruption in payment or banking services?

If payment or other banking services do not work

  • find out if any of the payment instruments at your disposal are working
  • check if you have cash
  • check your home for food and essentials to help you get through the disruption
  • follow the information provided by your bank about the situation.

If the disruption is long and extensive, the Financial Supervisory Authority, the Bank of Finland and the Financial Stability Authority may also issue more detailed instructions.

Updated: 2/9/2025

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Checklist for preparing for incidents and crises