The German Bundesbank has published its 2025 study on payment behavior in Germany, showing that cashless methods accounted for 55 percent of recorded everyday purchases for the first time. Cash nevertheless remained the most used single payment method at the checkout, with a 45 percent share of transactions, down 6 percentage points from 2023. Debit cards ranked second at 26 percent, with the Girocard the dominant debit card, while mobile payments rose to 10 percent and internet-based payment methods doubled their share to 6 percent. Measured by value rather than number of payments, debit cards still held the largest share at 28 percent, though this was 4 percentage points lower than in 2023. Cash and credit transfers each accounted for 23 percent of turnover. The study also points to uneven participation in payment digitalization, with older people, people with health limitations, lower incomes or less digital experience relying more heavily on cash. Cash acceptance remained nearly universal, available in 94 percent of in-person purchases, but cashless acceptance was lower at 86 percent despite a 5 percentage point increase from 2023, and about one-quarter of respondents said they had been unable to pay cashlessly as desired at least once in the previous month. The Bundesbank also highlighted the concentration of mobile and online payments in non-European providers. Apple Pay was the most used mobile payment method at the point of sale, respondents' digital wallets mainly contained Visa and Mastercard cards, and PayPal held about 86 percent of internet payment methods. The study says European solutions such as Wero and, potentially, the digital euro could regain market share, while European Union proposals under negotiation aim to secure broad acceptance of cash and, in future, the digital euro.
German Bundesbank2026-06-17
German Bundesbank study shows cashless payments rose to 55 percent of purchases in Germany for the first time while cash remains the most used single method
The German Bundesbank's 2025 payments study found that cashless methods accounted for 55 percent of everyday purchases in Germany for the first time. Cash still remained the most used single payment method at 45 percent of transactions, while debit cards led by value at 28 percent. The study also flagged gaps in cashless acceptance and the strong role of non-European providers in mobile and online payments.