Germans see digital payments as secure, and they are easier and faster than cash. The corona boost in digital payment methods is thus continuing. The Postbank Digital Study 2022 shows which groups have the most trust.
Digital payment continues to increase: Six out of ten Germans already pay contactless with their smartphone or a card. In 2021 it was still 56 percent, in 2020 just before the pandemic only 47 percent. The Corona crisis has clearly driven the trend: 30 percent of mobile payment users state that they handle less cash because of the pandemic. These are the results of the representative Postbank digital study 2022.
The pandemic is the reason why people over 40 in particular are trying out digital methods, 35 percent would like to handle cash less. Among the 18 to 39 year olds, the so-called digital natives, it is only 24 percent. They are already more used to modern payment systems, 24 percent of them have also linked them to discount systems.
Fast and safe is trumps
59 percent of Germans argue that digital payment methods are easier and faster than cash - a year earlier, 50 percent said so. According to 49 percent of those surveyed, the argument in favor of mobile payment is that they always have their smartphone with them anyway and then sometimes save themselves having to take it with them or look for their bank card. However: A quarter of Germans who would like to pay digitally in the future do not know in which shops this is possible.
Under 30s pay contactless and mobile
Digital natives in particular pay conveniently in passing: 71 percent of those under 40 use digital payment methods - 36 percent of them even use mobile payment and contactless card payments at the same time. Across all age groups it is 21 percent. Contactless payment with a bank card is currently more popular than paying with a smartphone: while 32 percent only opt for the former, seven percent pay exclusively using mobile devices. A total of 27 percent of those surveyed have already tried out mobile payment. Before the pandemic, it was just 19 percent.
Background information on the Postbank digital study 2022
In January and February of this year, 2022 Germans were surveyed for the “Postbank Digital Study 3.050 – The Digital Germans”. With the study, for the eighth year in a row, Postbank is examining which developments are emerging in the various areas of life of German citizens in relation to digitization in general and financial issues in particular.
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