Ljubljana - Slovenians are equally likely to pay with cash or card when travelling abroad, a survey conducted by the US credit card company Visa shows.

Some 50% of Slovenian respondents mostly use cash when travelling and 49% pay contactless, either using payment cards or smart devices, showed the survey on travel and payment intentions in 2022 carried out in eight countries of central and eastern Europe.

One in ten respondents use a smartphone or a smartwatch to pay. This trend developed during the pandemic and remained popular when travelling abroad, the survey found.

Almost two-thirds of Slovenian respondents listed speed and convenience as the main advantages of payment cards. Not using the local currency is an advantage to more than half of respondents. Payment cards are most often used at gas stations and in shopping centres.

Just over 90% of Slovenian respondents use the same card in Slovenia and abroad, while 9% use a different card when travelling. The reasons they state for using multiple cards are safety (61%), better control of spending (38%) and better exchange rates (23%).