Do you pay with cash or card?

Norway.

The only ones using cash here are the elderly, immigrant workers and contractors that skip VAT. Been like that a long time. A restaurant chain here stopped accepting cash (illegal), and there was barely some buzz in the media. Buzz so brief I don't know how it ended.

I almost never have cash on me. It's debit or credit always. Here's my thought process on paying with cash. If I buy something that costs, say $4.55, and I hand over a $5 dollar bill, that item has really just cost me $5.00 because what am I realistically going to do with the 45 cents in change?

Back in the day you take that .45 cents and throw it in a big old empty pickle jar with the rest of your loose change.
- the problem now is that I'll just have a big pickle jar with 45 cents. Next year, I'll have a pickle jar with 60 cents... maybe by the time I retire I'll have a whole five dollars of change and exchange it for a bill...

Credit card for the rewards, paid monthly. Keep cash for tipping and small stuff.

US: Credit card only, almost exclusively using Apple Pay. If I somehow obtain cash, I deposit it so that I can spend it using a card instead and earn the rewards. I actively use about half a dozen cards, choosing the right one for each transaction to maximize rewards.

While its solid you're into the efficiency of it all, as an outsider it seems like an added headache to remember which card would be best for which outlet / type of transaction. I personally just maintain a few cards and only switch once I've reached about 50-60% the limit.

I can't even remember the last time I had cash in my wallet

Cash, because I try to keep at least some privacy.

Cash. feels better + Banks cant track me

Banks also seem willing to share their data with government agencies.

Half cash, half card. I’m from Germany and I think that giving banks the level of control they’d have in a cashless society is one of the dumbest things a society can do.

USA - Cash a lot more recently. With how easy it is for my bank and stores to track my purchases with card, I've switched to cash as much as possible. Some stores say no cash but even those have never actually refused cash. I assume they're just trying to deter thieves.

The spark for this change for me was Target. I first looked into it cause I hated how they scanned my ID barcode when buying alcohol. Also, they openly track purchases even made without your account by your credit card number. In addition to what I've heard about intensive surveillance in the stores via high resolution cameras, enough to read phone messages, I have sworn off Target entirely.

EDIT: oh and to avoid tip creeping. I absolutely hate when non-tipped places ask for tips. Cash makes it a lot easier to avoid.

Cash, everywhere. It's been weird to see some places refuse cash, and I usually don't go back.

cash is printed freedom

Interesting to see how common it still is to exclusively use cash, especially in European countries. In Canada, they put us in a prisoners dilemma situation where things cost the same regardless of whether you pay cash or card, but if you pay card, the merchant pays a fee and you get a portion of that fee, making it cheaper for you, while also raising the prices because they need to factor in this extra fee, so things are actually more expensive overall, and moreso if you pay cash.

Besides the monetary incentives, it's also much easier to track my expenses with a credit card.

cash. i don't buy much because i can't afford to, and what i do is purchased in a real store.

not even well fargo or boa would make a fake account using my data.

Do people still carry cash these days? Maybe if I was going to a garage sale or some private transaction... but even for those it's more convenient to do an e-transfer. Some businesses don't even have cash registers any more, just a card reader.

I sometimes carry cash. I'll say one thing, paying with cash makes it easier to avoid the tipping creep problem we're seeing at U.S. businesses that have traditionally not had tipping.

Germany: Credit card most of the time, using Apple Pay.

Some places only take girocard (formally EC), a special system in Germany that is cheaper for the vendor and more common, though some modern banks like N26 don’t give out girocards anymore which is why I have another bank account just for this. Super annoying.

Sometimes cash is still the only option, which is why I always carry 20-30 Euros with me just in case. Examples would be the local farm shop where I buy eggs and veggies, some small restaurants and pubs.

Almost exclusively cash for groceries and outings. Most other things are ordered online anyway. You'd think that working in IT I'd be more progressive but I'm confronted with so much malfunctioning tech that I'd rather have a simple form of transaction I can rely on and keep track of easily. My bank probably has some sort of ancient database that nobody understands anymore since Larry who was maintaining it died of a heart attack two weeks before retirement and now nobody dares to touch it until it'll eventually fail and cause my card to lose functionality for 3 days. I'll stick with my coins.

UK, card exclusively.

The charges on card is lifted some years ago and now there's no need to carry cash anywhere.

UK here - same for me for the last decade at least. The only thing I still pay for with cash is the barbers (although on my most recent visit I spotted a card terminal)

Cash and only cash. I live in Europe, so basocally wherever I decide to travel, my euros will be accepted, otherwise I'd rather get ripped off by an exchange than give a single piece of metadata to my bank :)

Travelling to places with a different currency outside the EU, I take my debit card and on the very first day withdraw some of the local currency from an ATM.

I live in the eurozone, and I don't even know what euro cash looks like.
- What are your reasons for using a card? Not bashing you, just genuinely interested :)

Card. Gotta get that cash back.

card for everything pretty much except drugs and tipping

I use gold doubloons

Almost everyone uses their card or phone here in Sweden. A lot of places stopped accepting cash.

Cash, new Zealand. Here we get charged a fee for cc that's 3% that's a scam in my opinion and there's probably a fee for eftpos as well so I just use cash.

Nah it's been years since I was charged fees for eftpos.

Paywave though, the vendors are getting shafted for that since it's credit. So of course they'll pass it on
Card and also New Zealand. I tend to find the cc or EFTPOS fees only get directly added by small businesses like local dairys or restaurants. Otherwise, it's generally considered an operating cost and as such is accounted for in the price, so you pay for it regardless of how you pay.
- Dairy is where 80% of my transactions are to be fair

Australia. Cash if possible, but only for small transactions like groceries.

Otherwise, EFTPOS.

Credit card only for some online payments I can't get around any other way.

Cash for small every day things. Otherwise some card for logging my budget. When I draw cash I log it to “everyday things”.

Germany

Belgium. Debit card most of the time. Covid was a turning point, as it popularized QR codes and this in turn led to more payments by payment apps. I rarely ever carry cash anymore.

Credit card everywhere in South Africa for me - firstly safer, but I also settle it in full monthly so avoid bank costs and interest, and I get a lot of benefits back like 35% off fruit & veg, 75% off fitness devices annually, etc.

card almost exclusively. local bakery or similar small shops doesnt work with cards and only do cash, so sometimes i have to work that way, but otherwise its card only.

What is your post’s body saying?

I think they're asking "If you use one only for specific circumstances, what are those circumstances?"
- Yes, that. Edited it now to be more understandable
I asked if you sometime pay in some way because of something. Sorry english is not my first language
- No big deal, and thanks for clarifying. I pay at big cooperate stores with card, but when I’m shopping local or small, I bring cash because I know they are hurt more by credit card charges.
- Edited the post

UPI

cash for bus

Metro card for metro

I haven't seen cash for many months now. I make my every transaction with upi online/offline. It's just in india. 😪😪

In the US, I mainly use card at stores, but I like buying things from FB marketplace and tend to use cash unless seller doesn't want to use cash.

Switzerland.

Apple Pay for almost everything with very very few exceptions. I have stopped going to places that don’t take cards at some point (with a few very pimited exceptions). Cash is just not convenient and totally unnecessary these days. And accepting cards is easier than ever.

Carrying cash - particularly coins - is such a pain in the neck. I pay for everything on card whether I'm in this country (UK) or travelling abroad.

I'm almost at the point where I don't need to carry a wallet at all - contactless on my phone takes care of a lot.

Until the pandemic I used to be strictly cash only. Sadly the pandemic has shifted my habits quite a bit :/

I usually carry around $30 with my cards, if I'm budgeting it can help make there be a limit as to what I can buy without having to rationalize my purchase to myself. Also, nice to have if needed, even if that isn't everyday.

Nice try WEF !

depends on what I'm buying

Cash I don't know why

Germany. Mostly using my debit card via my phone. I just don't like getting change. My money is also much more manageable this way.

in the US. almost always debit, rarely cash, never credit

Card, mostly credit, sometimes debit. I rarely carry cash around as I only have a card wallet. I live in the US.

Apple Pay every day, and before that Google Pay. I haven't really used cash in years.

There's a very rare exception for like one store I visit that requires cash with an ATM next-door so I just pay by cash then but otherwise I'm using my phone/watch for all payments.

UK.

Card. Have always used a credit card as much as possible to pay for everything since I was able to. That was Barclaycard in 1981 - £2 limit as I was underage. Back in the day Barclaycards were used as £50 cheque guarantee cards which they would issue to me as a minor, but they also served as credit cards for adults.

Cards are OPM and legislation protects us for purchases over £100 and I never carry a balance.

There is never any point in using a debit card to pay for anything. Reversing a transaction is a 'mare and you assume all the risk. Chase offer 1% cashback but I'd never use it (read:assume the risk) for anything where 1% would be worth having.

I tend to (over)spend cash if I have it, but cards I don't over-spend at all. I've never been able to work out why. Not broken so not fixed.

Almost exclusively Amex, but carry a MasterCard too for those occasional times where Amex isn't accepted locally or I'm in mainland Europe. Amex customer service is exceptional. My MasterCard bill is maybe two transactions a month; pennies.

The only place I pay physical cash is the barber. It's a pain in the arse.

Money laundering regulations here are now insane.

When in the Netherlands, I once had to apply for government benefits. They had to scrutinize all my bank transactions for a full year in the process. I've heard they need it for 5 years now. I started using ATMs more, saving up cash, in case I need to go through such a process again.

I do use card almost always now since it's touchless but I'm not willing to give up cash.

I almost never use cash

Portugal

I pay almost exclusively using MBWay or Card.

Canada, rarely pay with anything but CC. The Wealthsimple Cash card has been great too

Card almost exclusively, but I keep small amounts of cash on hand just in case. Usually end up using it at farmer's market or maker mart type situations.

Exclusively card. Any cash I get is saved. Which is nice because I make a decent amount in cash tips at my job so I've got some decent savings from it

Brazil

PIX

I live in the US and 95% of the time I use credit cards; I carry very little cash for tipping and quick purchases. I have about 3 cash back cards that I rotate depending on what I’m purchasing and pay them off every month. The points I earn I’ll use for traveling. I never use my debit card except for when I go to the bank

When in Vegas, cash. Everywhere else, card.

Almost exclusively credit. And I don't even play the game where you move stuff around to maximize points and all the other Bullshit. I just use the credit card through my almost exclusively online bank. Every pay day, first thing I do is pay off whatever I've accrued on the card the past two weeks, so I never carry a balance.

Back when I would go to the bars a lot, I used cash often.

India. UPI.

Canada - Debit card. Tap or chip. Chip for me since the tap on my card broke and I don't want to replace it, but most Canadians pay with a debit card tap.

sometime someone will ask that question but incude or cryptocurrency

Credit card almost exclusively and I get annoyed if I can't use tap to pay. I'm finding more and more places don't even accept cash anymore.