The Banco de España published its Estudio sobre hábitos en el uso del efectivo . Key findings: cash remains Spain’s most important means of payment in everyday life and also provides a safeguard against technical failures. In physical shops, cash is the main payment method for 57 per cent of customers. At the same time, mobile payments continue to grow, while payments by physical card are becoming less significant.
The study describes two trends. First, cash use in everyday life remains stable and serves as a fallback option during power or system outages. Second, use is shifting towards mobile payment methods, particularly in cities and among younger people. According to the central bank, access to cash is easy for most people, but gaps remain: in municipios sin oficina bancaria access is more difficult, and some cajeros automáticos do not operate reliably everywhere.
From an economic policy perspective, the Banco de España stresses the contribution of widespread access to cash to financial inclusion and consumer protection. The institution suggests reviewing how costs and responsibilities are divided in the cash distribution system to ensure provision in sparsely populated areas too. Earlier work examined alternative cash-dispensing channels, such as withdrawals at post offices or cashback at tills; the current study notes that their use remains limited so far.
The published findings are consistent with reports by Spanish news agencies and provide an up-to-date overview for the debate on how digital payments and cash fit together. The central bank distinguishes between observations and possible courses of action: it documents usage rates and access problems without presenting specific policy measures as having been decided. For consumers, according to these findings, cash remains not only a widely used means of payment but also a practical reserve when electronic systems temporarily fail.
The Banco de España also points to regional differences and the importance of local infrastructure for cash availability. The focus is on municipalities without a permanent bank presence and on the reliability of ATM networks. The study therefore provides robust data for authorities, the financial sector and retailers to address gaps in provision and at the same time integrate the growing use of dispositivos móviles into a resilient payment system.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).