Cash acceptance in the euro area rebounded slightly in 2026, with 92% of companies in retail, hospitality, and entertainment sectors accepting it, up from 90% in 2024. Card payments remained stable at 88%, while mobile payment acceptance surged to 68% from 36% over the same period. Companies cited consumer preference, security, and ease of handling as key factors for retaining cash acceptance, highlighting its perceived privacy and reliability advantages over digital methods. Meanwhile, 25% of firms have adopted measures to promote digital payments, such as investing in cashless terminals or reducing cash acceptance points. Self-checkout terminals were introduced by 13% of companies. The survey, covering 8,205 businesses across 21 euro area countries, was conducted between February and April 2026.
© European Central Bank, 2025.
Summary derived from the ECB website (https://www.ecb.europa.eu ).
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