Overview
- EHI’s 2025 study reports cards generated 63.5% of retail turnover versus 33.8% for cash, even as cash still accounts for a large share of transactions by count in other surveys.
- Commerzbank surveys show strong consumer preference for mobile and card payments, yet only about a quarter of small firms offer online or mobile options, with Berlin ahead of the national average.
- Merchants may refuse cash or cards if this is clearly signposted before purchase, though card-network rules such as Visa’s ban on minimum purchase amounts can constrain store policies.
- New reporting details widespread serial-number reading of banknotes by machines and selective Bundesbank use of note tracing, intensifying privacy concerns about cash’s perceived anonymity.
- On Christmas markets, adoption of card readers is uneven, with cost and speed worries cited; a Bonn wallet seller’s viral pro-cash sign and local rules in some cities highlight cultural and operational friction.