Use of cash in France: the payment method of choice for low-value purchases

This article exploits French data from a survey of cash usage in the euro area, which was published in 2017 on behalf of the European Central Bank (ECB). Cash is the preferred method of payment at the point of sale in the euro area, accounting for three out of every four transactions and more than half of the total value of purchases. The survey results nonetheless vary across countries, with France in particular showing a high concentration of cash usage for small purchases, coupled with a strong predilection for cashless means of payment. Among the determinants of cash usage, sociodemographic criteria (gender, age, income and profession of consumers) are found to have very little impact. However, transaction characteristics play a predominant role, with the share of cash payments diminishing as the value of the purchase rises, and increasing for purchases in shops for day-to-day items.