You go on a trip. You check that you have your credit and debit cards with you. You also confirm that you will have mobile coverage and Wi-Fi at your destination. And, of course, you carry an appropriate amount of cash.
Do you not do something similar when you travel? You never know. However, what really matters is that we have all the above payment options available. Then we will decide how to pay depending on the circumstances. In fact, it is a choice we make naturally in our daily lives. And financial institutions ensure this. But the final choice of payment method will always be the customer’s. It cannot be otherwise.
Recently, numerous debates and even simulations have emerged about the possibility of a world without cash. In fact, some European countries have already presented it, on an occasional basis, as an «achievement». But is it really? I still believe that, rather than an imposition, choosing one means of payment over another should be a personal decision. And banks also see it that way, as providers of payment methods always at the service of their customers. Incidentally, recent studies show that across Europe, cash payments account for more than 80% of the total. And they maintain this significant weight both in number of transactions and in volume.
After all of the above, do you think I reject technological progress applied to finance? That is not the case. The «age of immediacy» that dominates us at every moment of our lives through technological development is also clearly reflected in payments. But, on the other hand, for the time being the data are clear about the importance that cash continues to have as a means of payment.
