Ljubljana - Consumers in five Central European countries, including Slovenia, have been using cashless forms of payment more often since the start of the Covid pandemic. Electronic payment is the most popular in Slovenia, where the majority of the surveyed residents would oblige retailers to offer at least one form of cashless payment.

In Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, 50% avoid paying with cash whenever possible, with Slovenia leading the way, as 20% would renounce cash all together if possible.

Sixty percent would try to avoid cash and 6% would stick to their old ways, shows a survey carried out by the CEPER Central European centre for market research.

Cash is the most popular in Hungary and Slovakia, but the share of those who would be willing to pay with a credit or debit card or other digital means has increased.

A total of 85% of those surveyed see cashless payment as more convenient and 77% agree it is safer.

People in Czechia, Poland and Slovenia also see a major advantage in this service being globally available.

Slovenia and Czechia lead the way in the use of payment cards, with demand for development of cashless payment infrastructure the biggest in the two countries.

Over a fifth would miss cash, with the share in Hungary the largest (29%) and in Slovenia the lowest (6%).

The survey pinpoints avoiding taxes and age as possible reasons why people insist on cash. Among older people, more than 30% use only cash.

Education is another element posing a potential obstacle to cashless payment, as for instance in Hungary, half of those with only primary school use only cash.

Half of the participants in the region also believe that cashless payment would contribute to contain the pandemic.