Cash vs Card Statistics UK: The 2026 Numbers
The UK has gone from a cash first country to a card first one in about a decade. In 2015, nearly half of all payments were made in cash. In 2025, it was fewer than one in ten.
This page pulls together the key numbers from UK Finance's UK Payment Markets 2026 report, which covers payments made in 2025, plus ATM figures from LINK. We've added what the numbers mean if you run a small business. All figures were checked October 2026, and you can download the data as a CSV.
The headline numbers
| Measure (2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total payments made | 49.7 billion |
| Debit card payments | 26.6 billion (54% of all payments) |
| Contactless payments | 19.2 billion (39%) |
| Cash payments | 3.9 billion (8%) |
| All card payments | 64% of all payments |
| Credit card payments | 5.3 billion |
| Faster Payments | 6.2 billion |
| Direct Debits | 5 billion |
Source: UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2026.
Cash: from first to a small slice
Cash used to be the default. Now it's a minority payment method, though far from dead.
| Year | Cash share of all payments |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 45% |
| 2020 | 17% |
| 2025 | 8% |
Cash payments fell from 4.3 billion in 2024 to 3.9 billion in 2025. UK Finance expects cash to make up just 4% of payments by 2035.
The pandemic sped things up. Between 2015 and 2020, the share of payments made in cash more than halved, and it has halved again since.
But don't write cash off. LINK says people still made 1,272 million withdrawals from its ATMs in 2025, down from 1,388 million in 2024, and 49.3 million people used an ATM during the year. Plenty of customers still like to pay with notes and coins, especially for small amounts or to stick to a budget.
Where cash is used most
LINK's figures show big differences across the UK in how much cash people take out. In 2025 the average adult withdrew £1,352 from cash machines. In Northern Ireland it was £2,249, in Scotland £1,550 and in the North West £1,529. In the South West it was £974. London saw an 11% fall in the amount withdrawn.
So a business in Belfast or Glasgow is likely to see more cash than one in Bristol. If you're deciding whether to stop taking cash, your location matters. Our page on cash machine deserts shows where free ATMs are spread thinnest.
Cards: the new normal
Cards now account for 64% of all UK payments. Debit cards do most of the work, with 26.6 billion payments in 2025, more than half of everything.
Credit cards are used far less often for day to day spending, with 5.3 billion payments, but 56% of adults hold one.
Contactless
Contactless is the biggest single change in how people pay.
| Year | Contactless share of all payments |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 3% |
| 2020 | 27% |
| 2025 | 39% |
There were 19.2 billion contactless payments in 2025, and 16.2 billion of those were on debit cards. That's 62% of all consumer debit card payments. UK Finance forecasts contactless reaching 41% of all payments by 2035.
Read more in our guide to the contactless limit in the UK.
Why contactless took off
A few things came together:
- Higher limits. The single contactless limit rose from £30 to £45 in April 2020 and then to £100 in October 2021, so most everyday shopping could be done with a tap.
- The pandemic. Many shops asked customers not to pay in cash in 2020, and habits stuck.
- Cheap card readers. Pay as you go readers made it easy for small traders, from cafés to window cleaners, to accept cards.
- Phones and watches. Mobile wallets made paying even quicker, and they don't have the same per payment limit when the customer unlocks their device.
- Transport. Contactless ticketing on buses and trains made tapping a daily habit for millions.
Mobile wallets
Phone and watch payments run on top of cards, so they're counted within card and contactless figures. Even so, the growth is clear:
- 37.6 million people were registered for a mobile wallet in 2025.
- 58% of adults used mobile payments at least once a month.
Age makes a big difference to who's registered:
| Age group | Registered for a mobile wallet |
|---|---|
| 16 to 24 | 87% |
| 25 to 34 | 89% |
| 35 to 44 | 76% |
| 45 to 54 | 71% |
| 55 to 64 | 60% |
| 65 and over | 29% |
Other ways people pay
- Faster Payments: 6.2 billion in 2025, used for bank transfers, bill payments and, more and more, pay by bank at checkouts.
- Direct Debit: 5 billion payments, the backbone of regular bills and memberships. See our Direct Debit guide.
- Cheques: still falling, down 16% in 2025.
- Buy now, pay later: used by 22% of adults.
Cash vs card by the numbers
| Cash | Cards | |
|---|---|---|
| Share of payments 2015 | 45% | n/a in this report |
| Share of payments 2025 | 8% | 64% |
| Payments in 2025 | 3.9 billion | 31.9 billion (debit plus credit) |
| 2035 forecast | 4% | Contactless alone 41% |
Debit plus credit gives 31.9 billion card payments, which matches 64% of 49.7 billion.
What this means for small businesses
You almost certainly need to take cards
With two thirds of payments on cards, and young customers barely carrying cash, not taking cards means turning people away. A pay as you go reader starts at under £20, so cost isn't the barrier it used to be. Our guide to the cheapest card machines compares the options.
Contactless speed matters
When four in ten payments are contactless, a slow reader or poor signal is a real problem in a queue. Look for fast connections, and consider a reader with offline mode if you trade at events.
Mobile wallets are mainstream
Most customers under 45 have their cards on their phone. Any modern card machine accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay, but make sure yours does.
Cash still has a place
Older customers are much less likely to use mobile wallets, and some people budget in cash. If your customers skew older, or you run a market stall or pub, keeping cash as an option makes sense. Our cash handling cost calculator shows what cash really costs to accept.
Watch your fees
As more of your takings move onto cards, card fees become a bigger cost. A 0.3% difference in rate on £5,000 a month is £180 a year. Compare providers with our card fee calculator.
Should you go card only?
It's legal for a UK business to refuse cash, as long as you make it clear before people buy. But think about who you'd turn away. With nearly one in ten payments still in cash, and much higher cash use among older people and in some regions, going card only can cost you sales. Many businesses find a middle ground: take cards by default, accept cash, and bank it less often.
Pros and cons of going cashless
Pros
- Fewer trips to the bank
- No counting or float
- Lower risk of theft
- Faster service with contactless
Cons
- Card fees on every sale
- Some customers still prefer cash
- Total reliance on your card machine and connection
Five numbers to remember
- 8% of UK payments were made in cash in 2025.
- 39% of all payments were contactless.
- 54% of payments were made with a debit card.
- 37.6 million people were registered for a mobile wallet.
- 4% is UK Finance's forecast for cash's share in 2035.
If you're writing a business plan or pitching for funding, these figures make a strong case for taking cards. If you're deciding whether to drop cash, remember that 8% of payments is still a lot of customers, and they aren't spread evenly across the country or age groups.
For most small businesses, the takeaway is simple: make card payments quick and cheap, and keep cash as an option unless you're sure your customers won't miss it.
Who uses this data
This page is for small business owners deciding how to take payments, journalists and students looking for current figures, and anyone curious about how the UK pays. Please credit UK Finance and LINK as the original sources, and link to this page if you use our summary.
About the data
UK Finance publishes its UK Payment Markets report each year, covering the previous calendar year. The 2026 report covers 2025. LINK publishes data on ATM numbers and withdrawals on its own network. Figures here are taken from their published reports and summaries, checked October 2026. Percentages are rounded as published, so totals may not add up exactly.
FAQs
What percentage of UK payments are cash?
8% in 2025, according to UK Finance, down from 45% in 2015.
How many UK payments are contactless?
19.2 billion in 2025, or 39% of all payments.
Are debit cards the most popular way to pay in the UK?
Yes. Debit cards were used for 26.6 billion payments in 2025, 54% of the total.
Will cash disappear in the UK?
UK Finance forecasts cash at around 4% of payments by 2035. Millions of people still use ATMs, so cash isn't going away soon.
How many people use mobile wallets in the UK?
37.6 million people were registered for one in 2025, and 58% of adults used mobile payments at least monthly.
Can I download this data?
Yes. The CSV file includes every figure on this page with its source.