• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Why Cash Is Going Out of Style

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 25, 2017, 8:23 PM ET
Photograph by Scott Eells — Getty Images

More than a third of Europeans and Americans would be happy to go without cash and rely on electronic forms of payment if they could, and at least 20% already pretty much do so, a study showed on Wednesday.

The study, which was conducted in 13 European countries, the United States and Australia, also found that in many places where cash is most used, people are among the keenest to ditch it.

Overall, 34% of respondents in Europe and 38% in the United States said they would be willing to go cash-free, according to the survey conducted by Ipsos for the ING bank website eZonomics.

Twenty-one percent and 34% in Europe and the United States, respectively, said they already rarely use cash.

The trend was also clear. More than half of the European respondents said they had used less cash in the past 12 months than previously and 78% said they expected to use it even less over the coming 12 months.

Payment systems such as contactless cards and mobile-phone digital wallets have become so prevalent the issue has become political in some countries.

Cash-loving Germans, for example, have been concerned that a move by the European Central Bank to phase out the 500 euro note by the end of next year is the start of a slippery slope.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Germany is one of the countries that uses cash the most. The ING survey showed only 10% of Germans saying they rarely use cash, compared, for example, with 33% and 35%, respectively, in neighbors Poland and France.

The survey also showed that, in general, countries where cash is much in use were most likely to want to go cashless.

For more about the shift from cash, watch:

Only 19% of Italians said they rarely used cash but 41% said they would be willing to go cash. There was a similar trend in Turkey, Romania, the Czech Republic, Spain and even Germany.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Photo: A fireball rises from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in the area of Abbasiyeh, on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, on April 8, 2026. Lebanon's army warned people against returning to the country's south on April 8, where the Israeli military is still launching attacks, as Israel said the ceasefire with Iran did not include its conflict with Hezbollah. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP via Getty Images)
PoliticsMarkets
Too much fire, not enough cease: Iran tightens its grip on global oil trade on eve of peace talks
By Jim EdwardsApril 9, 2026
1 hour ago
Meta chief AI officer Alexandr Wang in New Delhi on February 19, 2026. (Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta takes the wraps off Muse Spark
By Andrew NuscaApril 9, 2026
1 hour ago
quiet
AIdisruption
White-collar workers are quietly rebelling against AI as 80% outright refuse adoption mandates
By Nick LichtenbergApril 9, 2026
2 hours ago
Zuckerberg, dressed a black suit, walks away from a white car.
AIMeta
Meta just killed a dashboard that let employees compete to be the company’s No. 1 AI token user
By Jacqueline MunisApril 9, 2026
3 hours ago
Meta chief AI officer Alexandr Wang
AIMeta
Meta unveils Muse Spark, its first AI model since hiring Alexandr Wang and a bellwether for CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s multibillion-dollar AI push
By Jeremy KahnApril 8, 2026
18 hours ago
The New York Times says it found Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin. Not so fast
CryptoBitcoin
The New York Times says it found Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin. Not so fast
By Jeff John RobertsApril 8, 2026
19 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. had a national debt ‘home run’ in its grasp, says Jamie Dimon. But the government did nothing, and now its best option is crisis management
Economy
The U.S. had a national debt ‘home run’ in its grasp, says Jamie Dimon. But the government did nothing, and now its best option is crisis management
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
1 day ago
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
Energy
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago
MacKenzie Scott's latest donation takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion
Success
MacKenzie Scott's latest donation takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of April 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 8, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
23 hours ago
Artemis II’s astronauts are on their way home—a six-figure salary but no overtime or hazard pay awaits them back on Earth
Success
Artemis II’s astronauts are on their way home—a six-figure salary but no overtime or hazard pay awaits them back on Earth
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago
Lowe’s is investing $250 million to train plumbers, carpenters, and electricians as its CEO says skilled trades are ‘critical to the future’
Success
Lowe’s is investing $250 million to train plumbers, carpenters, and electricians as its CEO says skilled trades are ‘critical to the future’
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.