The ECB’s 2026 payments report records cash as the most frequently used instrument by number of retail transactions
The European Central Bank published its report on payment habits in the euro area on 13 August 2026, confirming that cash remains the most widely used payment method by number of retail transactions. According to the report, cash is used in more than half of all in-person payment transactions made by consumers in the eurozone.
The ECB document finds that, despite the growth of digital payments recorded in the years following the pandemic, the share of cash by number of transactions remains higher than that of any single electronic instrument. Card payments remain the second most frequently used method. According to the report, consumers cite ease of use, universal acceptance, and privacy protection as the main reasons for their preference for physical money.
The ECB is simultaneously conducting the preparation phase for its central bank digital currency project, whose legislative process is still under way within the European institutions. The report does not include projections on future adoption, but notes that demand for euro banknotes has remained stable. On the acceptance side, the report signals that a share of merchants refuses cash in some eurozone countries, a practice the ECB monitors closely given the legal tender obligations attached to the euro.
The question of mandatory cash acceptance is distinct from that of voluntary adoption by consumers, and the report addresses the two aspects separately.
