As of: March 8, 2024, 11:10 a.m
By: Marco Blanco Ucles
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More and more people prefer card payments to cash.
But which option actually makes shopping more responsible?
The trend is clearly visible - supported, among other things, by the hygiene advice during the corona pandemic: classic cash payments are becoming increasingly rare.
Many people have long been relying on card payments – sometimes contactless.
In some stores it is now only possible to pay by card, but this also applies the other way around with cash payments.
According to the European Central Bank,
cards have
long since replaced cash as the dominant payment method, especially for purchases worth over 50 euros.
Card payment is the more convenient method
More and more people are paying by card – but does it really make that much sense?
© Shotshop/IMAGO
In an ever-faster world, many people have less and less time.
Of course, it's practical if you don't have to go to a bank branch and withdraw money before shopping.
Instead, you simply hold your card against the appropriate device at the checkout and the transaction takes place.
Another advantage of not taking the receipt with you after every purchase, no matter how small, is, according to
Quarks.de
: “The purchase can be easily traced later and you remember it better.”
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Expert: Fewer considerations when paying by card
People are known to like to choose the more convenient way, including when it comes to payment methods.
Christoph Wahl is an expert in behavioral economics.
He explains to
Web.de
: “We simply don't have to think about it that much because we only swipe one card.
Because cash weighs something, spending it always means a tax that the user feels.
Nothing will change in this regard when it comes to card business.
In addition, the account will only be debited with a delay.”
If you can't manage to keep your personal limit in mind when shopping with your card, thanks to today's technology you can look for other ways without having to switch to cash payments.
With many cards these days you can set up a push notification to be sent to the user's smartphone when a certain amount has been reached to warn them.
In principle, a monthly limit can be set for credit cards.