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Open Amount

In open amount mode, the customer enters the amount to pay themselves in the Vipps or MobilePay app. You share your VM Number (and optionally a reference), and they type in the sum and confirm. No product list or fixed prices are required from your side.

When to use open amount

Open amount works well when the total varies from one payment to the next. Typical examples:

  • Tips and gratuities — Staff or venues where customers choose how much to tip.
  • Donations — One-off or variable amounts.
  • Custom or variable orders — Where the total is agreed on the spot (e.g. repairs, ad-hoc services).
  • Pay-what-you-want — Events or products with flexible pricing.
  • Settling a bill — When you tell the customer the amount and they pay that exact sum.

If you have fixed prices and want the customer to pick from a list (e.g. menu items, products), shopping basket may be a better fit.

How it works

  1. You give the customer your VM Number (and, if useful, a short reference such as "Table 5" or "Order #123").
  2. The customer opens Vipps or MobilePay and searches for your business or enters your VM Number (or scans a QR code that points to it).
  3. They enter the amount to pay (you can communicate this on a receipt, bill, or verbally).
  4. They confirm the payment in the app.

You don't send the amount from your system; the customer enters it. So it's important they know the correct sum (e.g. from a receipt or your instructions).

Best practices

  • Communicate the amount clearly — Show it on a receipt, screen, or verbally so the customer knows what to enter.
  • Use a reference when it helps — References (e.g. table number, order ID) make it easier to match payments to orders or tables.
  • Display your VM Number where customers pay — At the counter, on the table, or on printed material so the flow is quick and obvious.

For more guidance, see Best practices.

Next steps

  • Shopping basket — When you have fixed products or prices.
  • Payment Request — When you sell online and want to send a request directly to the customer in the app.
  • Use cases — See how others use open amount and basket.
  • FAQ — Common questions about VM Number.