Cash Acceptance Among Euro Area Businesses Rebounds to 92%, ECB Survey Finds, as Post-Pandemic Decline Levels Off
Cash Acceptance Among Euro Area Businesses Rebounds to 92%, ECB Survey Finds, as Post-Pandemic Decline Levels Off #
Cash remains the most widely accepted payment method for businesses across the euro area, according to a new survey from the European Central Bank published on Thursday. The results suggest a multi-year decline in cash acceptance that began during the Covid-19 pandemic has now stabilised.
The ECB’s 2026 survey on the use of cash by companies in the euro area, conducted by Ipsos European Public Affairs between February and April this year, polled 8,205 businesses across all 21 euro area member states. The survey focused on sectors most likely to receive cash payments from consumers, including retail trade, restaurants and cafés, hotels, and arts, entertainment and recreation.
According to the ECB’s findings, 92% of companies operating physical points of sale reported accepting cash, up from 90% in 2024 and compared with 96% when the survey was first conducted in 2021. The central bank said the increase suggests the long-running decline in cash acceptance has paused, with overall acceptance now higher than at any point since the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.
Card payments remained broadly steady, accepted by 88% of companies compared with 87% in 2024. Mobile payments saw the largest shift, with acceptance nearly doubling from 36% to 68% of companies over the two-year period. Instant payment transfers and digital wallets were cited as the most commonly accepted mobile options.
Despite that rise in mobile uptake, the ECB flagged concern that growing payment automation could inadvertently sideline cash. Around 13% of euro area companies have introduced self-checkout terminals, and 25% have taken active steps to steer customers toward digital methods. The central bank called for policy and operational measures to ensure the spread of automated checkout systems does not undermine cash as a viable payment option for consumers who rely on it.
Cash acceptance varied considerably by country. Greece and Italy recorded the highest rates, at 99% each, while Belgium and Cyprus posted the lowest, at 81% and 76% respectively. Sector-level data showed cash most widely accepted in retail, restaurants, and hotels, which collectively reported a 93% acceptance rate.
The survey also found that cryptocurrency has made almost no inroads in everyday commerce. Just 0.2% of companies selling goods or services online reported accepting crypto-assets or stablecoins, and acceptance at physical points of sale remained below 1%, virtually unchanged from 2024. About one in three euro area companies said they have no preference as to how their customers pay.
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