Euro-area firms still favor cash over digital, ECB finds
An ECB survey found 92% of euro-area firms with physical shops accepted cash in 2026, up from 90% in 2024; card acceptance was 88% and mobile payments rose from 36% to 68%.
The European Central Bank reported that 92% of euro-area companies with physical points of sale accepted cash in 2026, up from 90% in 2024. The survey found physical card acceptance at 88% and mobile payment acceptance rose to 68% from 36% in 2024.
The survey covered companies that sell goods and services at physical locations across the euro area. Respondents were asked which payment methods they accept and how they compare payment types on attributes such as privacy, reliability, costs, transaction speed, ease of handling and security.
Respondents ranked cash above digital payments for privacy and reliability. The ECB reported that a high share of companies also judged cash to be preferable to digital methods on overall costs, transaction speed, ease of handling and security.
The bank said the decline in cash acceptance observed during and after the Covid-19 pandemic has paused. The summary of the survey did not include a breakdown by country or sector.
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