Euro area cashless payments increase 7.7 percent in first half of 2025
The total number of cashless payment transactions in the euro area rose by 7.7 percent to 77.7 billion in the first half of 2025. The corresponding value increased by 2.9 percent to €116.0 trillion, with card payments accounting for 57 percent of all transactions.
Cards dominate growing payment landscape
The total number of cashless payment transactions in the euro area reached 77.7 billion in the first half of 2025, marking a 7.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. The total value of these transactions grew by 2.9 percent to €116.0 trillion.
Card payments continued to be the most prevalent instrument, accounting for 57 percent of all cashless transactions.
Credit transfers followed with 22 percent, direct debits with 14 percent, and e-money transactions with 6 percent.
Contactless card payments saw particularly strong growth, rising by 12.8 percent to 29.6 billion transactions, with their value increasing by 13.9 percent to €0.8 trillion.
This indicates a sustained shift towards convenient digital payment methods across the euro area.
The number of payment cards in circulation also increased by 12.2 percent to 879.3 million, averaging 2.5 cards per inhabitant.
Shifting infrastructure, persistent transfers
Credit transfers, totaling 16.8 billion transactions (+6.5%), maintained their dominance in value, increasing by 2.6 percent to €107.3 trillion, reflecting their use for higher-value payments.
Direct debits grew by 2.3 percent to 11.3 billion transactions.
E-money transactions showed robust growth, rising 10.7 percent to 4.7 billion transactions.
The physical payment infrastructure is adapting: ATMs declined by 2.9 percent to 249,300, while POS terminals expanded significantly by 24.0 percent to 24.7 million, with 93 percent now supporting contactless payments.
Payments: Evolution, not revolution
The latest statistics confirm a robust and accelerating shift towards cashless payments in the euro area, primarily driven by card and e-money usage.
This evolution underscores the deep integration of digital methods into daily life, even as physical cash infrastructure adapts.
Central banks face the ongoing challenge of ensuring these rapidly evolving payment systems remain secure, efficient, and inclusive for all users.