Sweden was early adopting cards, but it's really changed in the last couple of years. When I went back this year the local pizza place had a sign saying they no

Sweden was early adopting cards, but it's really changed in the last couple of years. When I went back this year the local pizza place had a sign saying they no longer take cash. Just five years ago pizza places were always happy to get cash, so they could (sometimes) pocket the money and not pay tax. It's mostly debit cards, not credit. So the merchant fees are low. Sweden also introduces new coins and bills a few years ago, and then a lot of people just gave up on cash. There's also the 'Swish' system for sending money to people. You sign up and link your mobile number to your bank account. Then you can send money to a phone number, and it instantly goes to the linked bank account. Swish is popular for splitting bills, selling used items, market stalls, charities and such. Even some local stores take Swish payments, although that's not what the system is intended for. The UK's PayM is similar to Swish, but the UX is not as good. Sweden is actually a bit behind the UK on contactless though.