Debit cards prevail: Hardly anyone uses cash!

Debit cards prevail: Hardly anyone uses cash!

The payment habits in Europe have changed significantly in recent years, as a current strategy & current survey shows. According to the results raised in December 2024, 40 percent of those surveyed now prefer the debit card as a means of payment. Cash, on the other hand, is only the choice of 23 percent of the participants, a distinctive decline compared to 2022, when 37 percent preferred cash. These trends illustrate that the acceptance of electronic payment methods increases while cash loses importance. This development is particularly reflected in Germany, where the preference for cash from over 50 percent in 2022 has dropped to only 35 percent, while 40 percent of Germans now prefer the debit card.

The use of credit cards also shows an upward trend, since 22 percent of Europeans indicate this as their preferred payment method, which is an increase of five percentage points compared to 2022. Even if payment apps are only mentioned by 14 percent of users as the preferred method (an increase of one percentage point), their influence remains manageable compared to traditional methods. Overall, it is estimated that cash payments could only be made between 10 and 20 percent of the payment methods in the future, as brand articles determined.

Finally, it can be said that the changes in the payment method landscape bring not only technological but also cultural implications for European society. The future development of payment habits will show whether cash continues to become more important or whether digital payment methods will bring new challenges.