92% of businesses with physical points of sale accept cash, according to the ECB. Acceptance of mobile payments skyrockets from 36% to 68%.
Cash maintains its dominance as a payment method in the eurozone. According to the latest survey from the European Central Bank (ECB) on cash usage by businesses, published this Thursday, 92% of businesses with physical establishments accept this payment method, up from 90% in 2024.
The increase confirms a recovery following the decline recorded during and after the pandemic. The study, conducted between February and April 2026, involved 8,205 businesses from the 21 eurozone countries, including sectors such as retail, restaurants, cafés, hotels, and artistic and leisure activities.
The acceptance of cards remains stable at 88%, while mobile payments have risen from 36% to 68% in just two years. Despite this digital surge, cash remains the most universally accepted method.
The ECB also highlights that 25% of businesses have taken steps to promote digital payments, such as investing in cashless payment registers or reducing the number of cash-accepting registers. Additionally, 13% have introduced self-service terminals.
Companies cite consumer preference, security, and ease of handling as the main factors when deciding which payment methods to accept. Compared to digital systems, cash continues to offer perceived advantages such as privacy and reliability.
For Spanish businesses, this data serves as a useful reference: although digitalization is advancing, maintaining cash as an option remains key to not losing customers who prefer it for reasons of spending control or distrust in electronic means.
The next edition of the survey, scheduled for 2028, will allow us to see if the gap between cash and digital payments continues to narrow or if the trend stabilizes.
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