Cash acceptance increased from 90% in 2024 to 92% in 2026, reversing some of the decline seen during and after the pandemic. Card acceptance remained broadly stable at 88%, while mobile payments expanded sharply, with the share of businesses accepting them rising from 36% to 68%. At the same time, 25% of companies reported measures to encourage digital payments, including cashless-only tills or fewer cash-accepting terminals, while 13% have introduced self-checkout terminals.

Businesses identified customer preferences, security and ease of handling as the main factors influencing which payment methods they offer, with cash valued particularly for privacy and reliability compared with digital alternatives. The survey covered 8,205 companies across all 21 euro area countries, with interviews conducted between February and April 2026.

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