Retail-FCL‘s cash bulletin distils the cash-related findings of the ECB’s 2026 survey on the use of cash by companies in the euro area. The survey covers companies in retail trade, restaurants and cafes, hotels, and arts, entertainment and recreation across all 21 euro area countries, and examines cash acceptance, attitudes, automation of cash handling, and cash withdrawal and deposit behaviour.
Overall, cash acceptance at physical points of sale has edged higher, to 92% in 2026 from 90% in 2024, suggesting that the post-pandemic decline in cash acceptance has paused. At the same time, mobile payment acceptance has surged from 36% to 68%, and companies are increasingly automating cash handling and reducing cash withdrawal and deposit activity.