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Only 1% of Eurozone companies accept cryptocurrency.
Сryptocurrency
About 1% of Eurozone companies operating physical points of sale accept cryptocurrency and stablecoins
—a figure that has remained virtually unchanged over the past two years. Among companies selling goods and services online, only 0.2% accept such assets, according to a study by the European Central Bank.
This is the lowest figure among all the payment methods analyzed. In the ECB survey, the relevant category is defined as "crypto-assets and stablecoins" and includes, among others, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether. In 2026, the regulator distinguished for the first time between the acceptance of payment instruments at physical locations and in online sales.
The survey was conducted between February 23 and April 10, 2026. It involved 8,205 companies from all 21 Eurozone countries operating in retail, hospitality (hotels and restaurants), and the arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors. Bulgaria, which joined the Eurozone earlier this year, participated in the survey for the first time.
Mobile payments nearly doubled
Cash remains the most common payment method at physical points of sale: it is accepted by 92% of companies, up from 90% in 2024 (see chart). Bank cards rank second, with their acceptance rate rising from 87% to 88%.
The acceptance of mobile payments saw the most significant increase, rising from 36% to 68%. Among companies supporting this payment method, 75% accept instant payments, 63% accept digital wallets, and 19% accept QR-code payments.
Conversely, the acceptance of bank checks declined from 36% to 27%.
For online sales, cards lead the way, accepted by 82% of companies. Bank transfers are supported by 74% of online merchants, instant payments by 59%, digital wallets by 45%, and automated account debits by 40%. A "buy now, pay later" option is offered by 15% of companies.
At the same time, the number of companies combining physical and online retail is rising. Their share increased from 39% in 2024 to 42% in 2026. Conversely, the share of companies operating exclusively online fell from 6% to 4%.
Decline in cash acceptance has stalled
Cash acceptance at physical locations rose from 90% in 2024 to 92% in 2026. "This suggests that the decline in cash acceptance observed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled," the ECB study states.
Retailers, restaurants, and hotels are the most likely to accept cash, with a 93% acceptance rate in each of these sectors. The figure is lower in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, standing at 84%.
Among eurozone countries, the highest levels of cash acceptance were recorded in Greece and Italy (99% each). The lowest rates were observed in Cyprus and Belgium (76% and 81%, respectively).
Of the companies currently accepting cash, 92% plan to continue doing so over the next five years. Six percent intend to stop accepting it, while another 2% remain undecided. In Cyprus, 51% of cash-accepting companies consider the possibility of discontinuing cash acceptance in the future; in Greece, the figure is 23%, and in Bulgaria, 18%.
Businesses promote cashless payments but do not view them as unequivocally superior
One-quarter of companies accepting cash at physical locations have implemented measures over the past year to promote digital payments or reduce cash usage. Among them, 37% acquired checkout systems that support cashless payments or reduced the number of cash-accepting registers. Another 30% promoted cashless payments, 29% offered various incentives for using them, and 24% installed cashless self-service terminals.
However, across none of the six criteria evaluated did companies rate digital payments as unequivocally superior to cash. Cash scored higher on privacy and reliability. A significant number of respondents also considered cash more advantageous in terms of total costs, transaction speed, processing convenience, and security.
Self-service terminals are installed at 13% of companies that accept cash. At 52% of these companies, at least some terminals accept cash, whereas at 48%, cash cannot be used at any self-service terminal. Automated cash-handling devices at points of sale are used by 38% of companies, while 37% use smart safes.
Companies are depositing and withdrawing cash less frequently
Despite the growth in the formal acceptance of cash, the share of companies depositing cash at banks continues to decline. ECB data shows that 59% of companies did so in 2026, compared to 70% in 2024 and 85% in 2021. The share of companies withdrawing cash fell to 22%, down from 30% in 2024 and 28% in 2021.
Among organizations that withdraw cash, the proportion using bank teller services for this purpose rose from 51% to 60%. For cash deposits, this figure increased from 49% to 58%. Consequently, bank teller services overtook ATM deposit functions—used by 55% of companies depositing cash—for the first time. At the same time, the use of cash-in-transit services dropped sharply. Among companies withdrawing cash, the share fell from 21% to 7%, while among those depositing cash, it dropped from 17% to 8%. The ECB did not explain the reasons for this decline in its report.