Cash No Longer Is Switzerland’s Top Payment Method, SNB Says

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Debit cards just overtook bills and coins as the most widely used payment method in Switzerland in a sea change for an economy that long stood out from peers for its obsession with cash.

Some 35% consumer transactions in stores were settled by card last year, with physical money accounting for 30%, according to a Swiss National Bank survey published Tuesday. That compares with 21% and 70% respectively in 2017. Another 18% were settled using mobile payment apps and 14% via credit cards.