[mrweasel]

I'm not sure about the other Nordics countries, but Denmark still have its own card solution "Dankort". It's not nearly as popular as it once was, and I would say that most cards are now dual-branded as VISA/Dankort, where the card will work as a VISA card, if Dankort isn't supported.

Our politicians and banks probably don't see it this way, but having a local alternative can help keep MasterCard and VISA in check. If they become to expensive or unreasonable most people already have a competitor in their wallet, one for whom fees are strictly controlled.