The shift to digital payments: Understanding payment behaviour through
open data
Publication Date/Time
2025-10-10T10:30:00+00:00
Country
Europe
Exploring payment trends, preferences and barriers across the euro
area
Do you still mostly pay with cash or has your phone replaced your
wallet? 

Regardless of your answer, across Europe, digital payments are
becoming an everyday reality. Offering speed, convenience and new ways
to transact, they are reshaping how people buy goods and services.
However, the shift away from cash is not happening at the same pace
everywhere. Adoption rates vary widely between countries, age groups
and income levels. 

To guide this transformation, the European Union has launched key
policy initiatives such as the digital finance strategy
[https://finance.ec.europa.eu/publications/digital-finance-package_en]
and the retail payments strategy
[https://www.ecb.europa.eu/paym/integration/retail/retail_payments_strategy/html/index.en.html].
These aim to promote a secure, inclusive and innovative digital
payment ecosystem across Europe. 

But how do Europeans pay today and what shapes their choices? Using
data from the study on the payment attitudes of consumers in the euro
area
[https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/space/html/index.en.html#sb],
published by the European Central Bank
[https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html], this data story
explores the evolving digital payment landscape across the EURO AREA.
It examines how people pay, what shapes their choices and where
barriers to adoption remain. 

 

_HOW ARE PAYMENT HABITS SHIFTING IN THE EURO AREA?_ 

To understand how payment habits are evolving, we begin by looking at
how people pay at PHYSICAL POINTS OF SALE and how this behaviour has
changed over time. 

FIGURE 1 compares how people in the euro area pay at physical points
of sale. Graphs 1A and 1B show a clear shift in payment methods
between 2016 and 2024. Over this period, the use of cash steadily
declined: its share of transactions fell from 79 % to 52 %, while
its share of total value dropped from 54 % to 39 %. At the same
time, card payments became more common, rising from 19 % to 39 %
of transactions and from 39 % to 45 % of value. Mobile payments,
though still a smaller share overall, grew significantly – from
less than 1 % to 6 % of transactions and from less than 1 % to
7 % of value. 

Graphs 1C and 1D offer a country-level comparison, revealing
significant variation among the euro-area countries. The Netherlands
leads in non-cash point-of-sale payments, with 78 % of payments made
by card or through a mobile application, followed by Finland (72 %)
and Luxembourg (63 %). In contrast, cash remains dominant in
countries such as Malta, Austria and Slovenia, where more than 60 %
of transactions are still conducted in cash. Notably, in nearly every
country, non-cash payments account for a larger share of total value
than of total transactions, suggesting that higher-value purchases are
more likely to be made by card or through a mobile application. 

These findings highlight the uneven pace of non-cash payment adoption.
While some countries have embraced cards and mobile payments as the
norm, others continue to rely more heavily on cash. This reflects a
mix of cultural preferences, existing infrastructure and consumer
habits. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20251006_Share%20of%20cash.png]
FIGURE 1: HOW EURO-AREA CONSUMERS ARE PAYING AT THE POINT OF SALE 

_Source: _European Central Bank
[https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/space/html/index.en.html#sb]. 

 

_WHAT DRIVES PAYMENT CHOICES?_ 

Understanding why people choose to pay with cash or card helps explain
the uneven pace of non-cash payment adoption across the euro area.
While access and infrastructure play a role, payment behaviour is also
shaped by other factors, such as convenience, control and privacy. 

FIGURE 2 presents the most commonly cited advantages of each method,
based on survey responses. For cash, the strongest factor is privacy:
41 % of respondents value its anonymity. Many also find that using
cash makes them more aware of their spending (35 %) or helps them
appreciate the fact that a transaction is settled immediately
(30 %). 

For card payments, not needing to carry physical money (61 %) is the
main advantage, followed by the speed of transactions (40 %) and the
ease of use (36 %). 

Some benefits – such as speed, safety and acceptance – are
mentioned for both methods, showing that the distinction is not always
clear-cut. 

These findings show that while non-cash payments are gaining ground,
they do not appeal equally to all citizens. Concerns around privacy
and control over spending continue to shape payment choices.
Addressing these concerns is a key challenge for policymakers in their
effort to build a secure and inclusive digital payment ecosystem, as
outlined in the digital finance strategy
[https://finance.ec.europa.eu/publications/digital-finance-package_en]. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20251006_Perceived%20advantages_0.png]
FIGURE 2: WHAT PEOPLE LIKE ABOUT CASH COMPARED WITH CARD PAYMENTS 

_Source: _European Central Bank
[https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/space/html/index.en.html#sb]. 

 

 

_DIGITAL PAYMENTS ARE RISING IN THE EURO AREA, AND SO IS THE NEED FOR
SUPPORT_ 

As digital payments become more common, especially online, not
everyone finds them easy to use. Alongside concerns about privacy and
convenience, digital skills
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/digital-literacy-eu-overview]
play a critical role in determining who can confidently navigate
digital transactions and who may be left behind. 

FIGURE 3A shows two key trends. Firstly, between 2019 and 2024, the
share of payments made online tripled – from 7 % to 21 % of
all transactions – while their share of total value doubled from
18 % to 36 %. During the same period, in-person payments at the
point of sale declined in both frequency and value, signalling a
broader shift towards remote and digital purchasing. 

FIGURE 3B shows which demographic groups are most likely to report
needing help with digital payments. Around 9 % of respondents say
they require assistance. While gender does not appear to play a
significant role, the need is slightly higher among older adults (aged
65+) but also younger adults (aged 18 to 24). Older adults also
include many who are least likely to use card, mobile or online
payments at all. At the same time, education and income
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/high-value-datasets-measuring-inequality-eu]
show a clear pattern: the lower their level, the higher the likelihood
of requiring assistance. 

These findings highlight that access to digital payments alone is not
enough; support and skills also matter. As the EU advances its digital
agenda
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/delivering-digital-decade-are-we-track],
bridging these gaps will be essential. The digital education action
plan
[https://education.ec.europa.eu/focus-topics/digital-education/plan]
(2021–2027) is one example of how the EU is helping citizens build
the skills needed to participate fully in an increasingly cashless
economy. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20251006_Neef%20for%20assistance%20with%20digital%20payments.png]
FIGURE 3: THE RISE OF DIGITAL PAYMENTS AND WHO STILL NEEDS SUPPORT 

_Source: _European Central Bank
[https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/space/html/index.en.html#sb]. 

 

 

CONCLUSION 

Digital payments are becoming the norm across the euro area, but not
for everyone and not in the same way all around. While many consumers
are embracing cards and mobile applications for their speed and
convenience, others still value the control and privacy that cash
provides. Patterns vary not only across countries but also across age,
income and education levels, reminding us that digital inclusion is
not guaranteed. 

The insights from this data story highlight two priorities: first,
ensuring that digital payment solutions are not only available but
also easy to use and trustworthy; and second, closing the digital
divide by supporting those who may struggle, particularly older
people, younger adults and low-income groups. Open data plays a
crucial role in this effort by shedding light on where gaps exist and
how we can address them. 

To explore more insights like these, visit the European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/en] and see how open data supports a smarter,
more connected and accessible Europe. 

 

 
