INSIGHT · EU
ECB data shows company cash acceptance decline has paused post-pandemic
European Central Bank reported that the shift away from physical cash by businesses, which accelerated during COVID-19, has now stalled. Corporate cash usage remains more resilient than fintech narratives suggest.
WHY IT MATTERS
Payment processors and digital-only BFSI models overestimated cash displacement; SMEs and retailers still rely on cash rails, limiting addressable market for pure-digital solutions.
Source: Finextra · 2026-08-17