Payment patterns in Sweden 2018 (Sveriges Riksbank)

Summary

• Six out of ten respondents used the mobile payment service Swish during the past month in 2018, compared to around 10 per cent in 2014.p.2
• Four out of ten respondents reported that they had not used cash at all during the past month.p.2
• Twenty per cent of respondents state that they never withdraw cash from an ATM or bank desk.p.6
• Half of respondents were positive or very positive about the decline in cash use, while 27 per cent were negative or very negative.p.8

Key insights

1. Swish adoption grew rapidly from around 10 per cent of respondents in 2014 to around 60 per cent in 2018.p.2
2. Seven out of ten people in Sweden state that they would be able to cope without cash in society as it is at present.p.2
3. Among young adults aged 18-24, almost 80 per cent used Swish in the past month, while 45 per cent used cash.p.3
4. Debit cards retain their dominant position, with 80 per cent paying by debit card for their most recent purchase compared to 13 per cent in cash.p.4
5. In rural areas, 74 per cent of respondents used a debit card for their most recent purchase, while 20 per cent paid in cash.p.4
6. More than 60 per cent of respondents state that they never withdraw cash in retail shops.p.6
7. Almost half of respondents never experience shops refusing to accept cash payments.p.7