Over-75s more and more likely to pay by debit card

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People in the Netherlands are paying cash at points of sale (POS) somewhat less often than before. Just 17% of all payments are made in cash. People aged 75 and over are also paying by debit card more often and making less use of cash. In total, Dutch consumers made slightly fewer POS payments in 2025 (7.1 billion transactions) than in 2024, but the total amount spent was higher (€185 billion). This has been revealed by a joint study conducted annually by the Dutch Payments Association (Betaalvereniging Nederland – BVN) and De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB).

Published: 26 May 2026

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After several stable years, the proportion of cash payments is falling slightly

The number of debit card payments remained roughly the same in 2025, while the number of cash payments fell somewhat. The drop was 2 percentage points, bringing the proportion of cash payments to 17%. The proportion of POS payments by card rose from 80% to 83%. In particular, the proportion of debit card payments for smaller amounts (up to €10) is up.

Figure 1a Total number of payments

Figure 1a Total number of payments

© DNB

Figure 1b Total value of payments

Figure 1b Total value of payments

© DNB

Contactless payments gaining further ground

The traditional method of paying by debit card at points of sale – where the card is inserted into the payment terminal – declined once again in 2025, with only 4% of all payments being made in this way against 6% a year earlier. The proportion has fallen particularly for relatively large amounts, which are often paid for by inserting the debit card in the terminal. The rise of mobile and smartwatch payments continued unabated last year, climbing from a share of 34% of POS payments in 2024 to 39% in 2025. 

The popularity of electronic payments among the over-75s continues to increase

Although the over-75s still use cash relatively frequently, this group tended to opt for electronic payments more often in 2025. This group paid 74% of their POS purchases with their debit cards in 2025, against 70% in 2024. Older people are also using electronic means more often for person-to-person (P2P) payments – for example, to family and friends, or for sports and other informal activities. The proportion of electronic payments, whether via payment requests or bank transfers, stood at 51% among the over-75 group in 2025, up 16 percentage points over 2024.

Figure 2. Over-75s more and more likely to pay electronically

Over-75s more and more likely to pay electronically

© DNB

Betalen aan de kassa 2025 (Dutch only)

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