According to Swedbank data, both the number and volume of night-time card payments increased by more than 10% in 2025 compared to the previous year. At the same time, nearly 40% of all card payments are made outside regular working hours – when a large share of physical stores are already closed. According to experts, this highlights how important it is for businesses to remain accessible to customers beyond traditional working hours.
During the first four months of this year, around 55% of SmartPosti orders reached the system during regular working hours, while approximately 28% arrived on weekday evenings and 15% over weekends. In total, this means that more than 40% of orders are placed outside the typical working day.
Purchases are often made after work and other commitments
Sander Borodkin, Head of Sales at SmartPosti, noted that today’s consumer does not necessarily make purchases during the workday. “People often find time to shop only in the evening, after work or other commitments. This means that businesses need to consider how their e-commerce stores, delivery information, and customer experience function when purchases are made outside regular working hours,” he said.
According to Borodkin, customer expectations have also evolved in recent years. “Speed remains important, but transparency and reliability have become just as important. Customers want to know where their parcel is at any given moment, when it will arrive, and for the entire process to be as simple and smooth as possible. The shopping experience does not end with the payment – it ends when the parcel has been successfully delivered.”
Around 99% of parcels that enter the SmartPosti network in Estonia are delivered to the recipient by the next day.
Card payments also indicate changing shopping habits
While the majority of card payments are still made during the daytime, Swedbank data shows that consumer behaviour is changing and payment activity is becoming more evenly distributed across the day. Around 60% of transactions take place between 08:00 and 17:00, approximately a quarter between 18:00 and 21:00, about 10% during night hours between 22:00 and 03:00, and less than 5% early in the morning.
According to Astrid Maldre, Head of the Small Business segment at Swedbank, changing purchasing behaviour creates new opportunities for businesses to reach customers regardless of time or location. For early-stage entrepreneurs, this means it is no longer essential to have a physical retail location or operate only in a local market.
The first customer of a new e-store can come from across Estonia
“Today, businesses no longer need to wait for a physical store to open or for a local customer base to develop in order to grow. With a well-functioning online sales channel, the first customer can come from the other side of Estonia already in the first days of operation. This gives early-stage entrepreneurs the opportunity to test their ideas with lower costs and gain a quicker understanding of what customers are actually willing to pay for,” said Maldre.
“For early-stage entrepreneurs, it is not only about acquiring the first customer, but also about ensuring that the same customer returns. When growing a business, long-term customer relationships often play a more important role than individual transactions, as the trust of repeat customers creates the foundation for more stable growth,” Maldre added.