56 per cent hit by ‘cash only’: Genoverband survey shows what the till receipt never records
According to a YouGov survey for the cooperative association Genoverband, 56 per cent of adults in Germany were unable to pay cashless as intended at least once in 2026, up from 45 per cent in 2021. 77 per cent of 196 Volksbank board members surveyed support an acceptance obligation for card and digital payments.
What does the Genoverband survey show?
More than one in two adults in Germany wanted to pay by card or smartphone at least once this year and still had to use cash. That is the result of a representative YouGov survey of 1,534 adults in August 2026, commissioned by the cooperative association Genoverband and reported by the dpa news agency on 3 October. The share stands at 56 per cent, up from 45 per cent in 2021. 28 per cent experienced it two to five times this year, and 49 per cent would like to pay digitally more often. Of 196 Volksbank board members surveyed in the association’s region, 77 per cent support an acceptance obligation for card and digital payments. What already applies today and what is merely planned is explained in the guide Card payment obligation 2027.
Which businesses are losing customers at the till?
Hospitality, snack bars, bakeries, kiosks and small shops, where “cash only” is still common, are hit hardest. For them the figure points to revenue that disappears quietly. Indirectly, every business preparing for the obligation planned from 2027 is affected.
Why the number is bigger than it sounds
A customer who has to turn around at the till never shows up in any of the business’s statistics. The owner sees only the receipts that happen, not the ones that fail at the sign on the door. The fact that the share has risen by eleven points since 2021, while terminals have become cheaper and simpler over the same period, shows that technology is not the problem. The problem is the calculation the business never makes.
It is notable that the cooperative banks, deeply rooted in the cash business, are mostly in favour of the obligation. That removes the basis for the argument that the obligation is an attack on cash. As I wrote in my commentary on the till obligation, the debate should now turn to implementation: simple tariffs, no minimum volumes, short contract terms.
What businesses without card payments should do now
- Count at the till for one week how many guests ask about card payment or leave without buying.
- Compare two offers, noting the monthly fee, the percentage rate and the contract term separately.
- Do not postpone the switch until the obligation applies: anyone switching in 2027, when everyone switches at once, negotiates from a weaker position.