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A huge percentage of daily life in Germany (Europe's biggest economy) and Austria is conducted in cash. https://www.bundesbank.de/en/press/press-releases/payme

A huge percentage of daily life in Germany (Europe's biggest economy) and Austria is conducted in cash. https://www.bundesbank.de/en/press/press-releases/payment-behaviour-in-germany-in-2021-894120 https://www.bundesbank.de/en/press/press-releases/payment-be...

askonomm 3y ago
Well Germany isn't really considered modern by northern EU standards, as would most northern EU citizens tell you. Don't know about Austria however.
- mk89 3y ago
  In Germany you can pay by card basically anywhere - with the phone or watch as well in most/many shops as far as I know. Not sure all this criticism makes sense (no I am not German). There are also historical reasons why Germans are concerned about the possibility of being tracked, which apparently not everyone sees the dangers of.
  - patrickk 3y ago
    > In Germany you can pay by card basically anywhere - with the phone or watch as well in most/many shops as far as I know. This simply isn't true, outside of large chains or supermarkets. Many smaller businesses like pubs, "kiosks", barbers, non-chain restaurants, and so on, are cash only. It's a combination of tax avoidance and trying to avoid the insane level of paperwork needed for bascically every aspect of life, but especially if you have a business, no matter how small. Source: live in Germany, near a large metro area.
    - mk89 3y ago
      > This simply isn't true, outside of large chains or supermarkets. Many smaller businesses like pubs, "kiosks", barbers, non-chain restaurants, and so on, are cash only. I have a different experience. I pay by card even for < 1 eur things almost everywhere (from time to time): sometimes I just have no cash with me anymore and I am totally ok. This has changed dramatically in the last 10 years, and I wish that the mainstream theme was different than "wooooow in Germany they still accept cash-only". Until now I only experienced this "cash-only" limitation in very few places. My recommendation, though, is to always have some cash on you, especially if you don't know where you're going. But I would do the same in any other country in the world.
      - mk89 3y ago
        > especially if you don't know where you're going. I meant: if you're not familiar with the place you're going to, or which way to take, etc.
      - slau 3y ago
        In Denmark, I can count the days I've had cash on me in the last decade on one hand.
        flemhans 3y ago
        I remember seeing a 100kr bill a couple of weeks ago, thinking how weird/unusual it was to see it. I didn't really remember how they looked like.
    - LargoLasskhyfv 3y ago
      Many smaller businesses like 'kiosks' acting as sort of post office for all the parcel services now, where you can get or send your packages(except letters). Meaning they have the infrastructure for cashless anyways. Like non-chain restaurants and so on, also do. Source: lived in Germany, at the outskirts of a large metro area, still visiting every few weeks to months into my own appartment, which I didn't abandon.
  - slau 3y ago
    Last spring, I stopped at a nice brunch place in central Hamburg. The waitress spoke English and asked where we were from, etc. Usual touristy stuff. When it was time to pay, we were surprised to hear only local German cards were accepted. I couldn’t use Visa, Mastercard, anything. It never occurred to them to warn us. I had to walk around for 25 minutes on the hunt for an ATM to pay my due. What was a nice lazy Sunday morning turned into an annoying time travel back into the early 90s.
    - mk89 3y ago
      This I have to say can be more common. Not entirely sure what the reason can be, but some places do not accept Visa/CC but only the EC card (which is essentially the local debit card). Meanwhile, more and more places accept NFC payment.
- boffinAudio 3y ago
  You can go cashless in Austria if you want to. You can also go cash-only in Austria, if you want to. Austria is one of those rare places in the Free World where personal agency and responsibility are still, relatively, extant throughout society ..
eddtries 3y ago
That’s true, same with England, but the Scandinavian countries (and others around them) are essentially cashless now. I’ve lived in Sweden for three months and yet to see a single note (literally!).
- Tistron 3y ago
  Yeah, I'm in Sweden. Don't know when I last used cash (well, apart from when I was in Berlin). I have cash in my wallet and some more laying around in case there'd be a failure in the payment systems, but that hasn't happened in years.
walthamstow 3y ago
Daily life, sure Germany is still backwards like that, but not when it comes to flights or other travel expenses.
- vidanay 3y ago
  Pay cash at a restaurant in Germany and ask for a receipt (I have an expense report to fill out) and they look at you like you're a dead rat in the street. Ask for a receipt at the hotel, and you better make sure you ask for an "non-German" receipt, otherwise you get a six page dossier.
shswkna 3y ago
Germany is not a good benchmark. Germany is scared of exploring the future.
- gpas 3y ago
  Germany recent past taught its citizens to value their privacy.
  - vidanay 3y ago
    If you are referring to WW2, that was 4+ generations ago.
    - snehk 3y ago
      Not WW2 but life in East Germany, which many people remember all too well.
    - gpas 3y ago
      Stasi was active until 1990.
  - Gud 3y ago
    On the other hand, the German government is spying on AfD, now one of the biggest parties in the country. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/03/german-intelligence-agency-to-spy-on-far-right-afd-party https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/03/german-intelli...
ricardobayes 3y ago
If you want a counterpart, in Sweden almost no one uses cash and apart from hospitals almost no one is obligated to accept it.
anonyfox 3y ago
but we germans also severe backwards-oriented to begin with. all kinds of esoteric garbage in daily life is shared and believed in, most things of the modern world is looked at with mistrust, and so on. the bigger/international cities like hamburg or berlin are a stark contrast however, drive like 50 miles outside of them and not much has changed during the last 100 years, except for buildings/infrastructure in general. I carry like 20€ with me at all times for when I have to deal with these situations in an emergency, but turns out I increasingly don't need to replenish this cash in my wallet for months.
- vidanay 3y ago
  When I visit Germany, I am astounded at how many of my German coworkers dislike fresh air in the office. A beautiful 25c sunny day with a nice breeze, and I opened the window near my desk. Within five minutes, someone has closed it and given me a dirty look (no, the air conditioning is not on.)
  - anonyfox 3y ago
    yeah, many people here actually believe that you get sick when you're in an air stream. Like between two open windows, or within an AC. But then go home and work in their windy garden for hours.
    - dzhiurgis 3y ago
      In Lithuania it's also: * drafts as you mentioned will get you a stiff neck (and absolutely it's not your crappy pillows) * going outside with wet hair * not wearing scarf, hat and gloves outside whenever there's slightest weather imperfection * not wearing socks and slippers indoors, despite being heated to comfy 22.5C * air conditioning, heat pumps, electric heating or any sort of fan blowing directly at you * getting your feet cold and wet * just merely breathing cold air indoors bonus: * treating feverish infant by wrapping them in additional layers and bedsheets This is shared across most intellectuals. Likely more embedded than some of the human rights we cherish in west. My family screamed, nearly disowned and accused me of "killing" my kids because of above. Even many in medical field believe this, tho actual doctors will say it's horseshit when pushed. And, no, the actual words from doctors mouth has never changed their view either.

askonomm 3y ago

Well Germany isn't really considered modern by northern EU standards, as would most northern EU citizens tell you. Don't know about Austria however.

mk89 3y ago
In Germany you can pay by card basically anywhere - with the phone or watch as well in most/many shops as far as I know. Not sure all this criticism makes sense (no I am not German). There are also historical reasons why Germans are concerned about the possibility of being tracked, which apparently not everyone sees the dangers of.
- patrickk 3y ago
  > In Germany you can pay by card basically anywhere - with the phone or watch as well in most/many shops as far as I know. This simply isn't true, outside of large chains or supermarkets. Many smaller businesses like pubs, "kiosks", barbers, non-chain restaurants, and so on, are cash only. It's a combination of tax avoidance and trying to avoid the insane level of paperwork needed for bascically every aspect of life, but especially if you have a business, no matter how small. Source: live in Germany, near a large metro area.
  - mk89 3y ago
    > This simply isn't true, outside of large chains or supermarkets. Many smaller businesses like pubs, "kiosks", barbers, non-chain restaurants, and so on, are cash only. I have a different experience. I pay by card even for < 1 eur things almost everywhere (from time to time): sometimes I just have no cash with me anymore and I am totally ok. This has changed dramatically in the last 10 years, and I wish that the mainstream theme was different than "wooooow in Germany they still accept cash-only". Until now I only experienced this "cash-only" limitation in very few places. My recommendation, though, is to always have some cash on you, especially if you don't know where you're going. But I would do the same in any other country in the world.
    - mk89 3y ago
      > especially if you don't know where you're going. I meant: if you're not familiar with the place you're going to, or which way to take, etc.
    - slau 3y ago
      In Denmark, I can count the days I've had cash on me in the last decade on one hand.
      - flemhans 3y ago
        I remember seeing a 100kr bill a couple of weeks ago, thinking how weird/unusual it was to see it. I didn't really remember how they looked like.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 3y ago
    Many smaller businesses like 'kiosks' acting as sort of post office for all the parcel services now, where you can get or send your packages(except letters). Meaning they have the infrastructure for cashless anyways. Like non-chain restaurants and so on, also do. Source: lived in Germany, at the outskirts of a large metro area, still visiting every few weeks to months into my own appartment, which I didn't abandon.
- slau 3y ago
  Last spring, I stopped at a nice brunch place in central Hamburg. The waitress spoke English and asked where we were from, etc. Usual touristy stuff. When it was time to pay, we were surprised to hear only local German cards were accepted. I couldn’t use Visa, Mastercard, anything. It never occurred to them to warn us. I had to walk around for 25 minutes on the hunt for an ATM to pay my due. What was a nice lazy Sunday morning turned into an annoying time travel back into the early 90s.
  - mk89 3y ago
    This I have to say can be more common. Not entirely sure what the reason can be, but some places do not accept Visa/CC but only the EC card (which is essentially the local debit card). Meanwhile, more and more places accept NFC payment.
boffinAudio 3y ago
You can go cashless in Austria if you want to. You can also go cash-only in Austria, if you want to. Austria is one of those rare places in the Free World where personal agency and responsibility are still, relatively, extant throughout society ..

eddtries 3y ago

That’s true, same with England, but the Scandinavian countries (and others around them) are essentially cashless now. I’ve lived in Sweden for three months and yet to see a single note (literally!).

Tistron 3y ago
Yeah, I'm in Sweden. Don't know when I last used cash (well, apart from when I was in Berlin). I have cash in my wallet and some more laying around in case there'd be a failure in the payment systems, but that hasn't happened in years.

walthamstow 3y ago

Daily life, sure Germany is still backwards like that, but not when it comes to flights or other travel expenses.

vidanay 3y ago
Pay cash at a restaurant in Germany and ask for a receipt (I have an expense report to fill out) and they look at you like you're a dead rat in the street. Ask for a receipt at the hotel, and you better make sure you ask for an "non-German" receipt, otherwise you get a six page dossier.

shswkna 3y ago

Germany is not a good benchmark. Germany is scared of exploring the future.

gpas 3y ago
Germany recent past taught its citizens to value their privacy.
- vidanay 3y ago
  If you are referring to WW2, that was 4+ generations ago.
  - snehk 3y ago
    Not WW2 but life in East Germany, which many people remember all too well.
  - gpas 3y ago
    Stasi was active until 1990.
- Gud 3y ago
  On the other hand, the German government is spying on AfD, now one of the biggest parties in the country. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/03/german-intelligence-agency-to-spy-on-far-right-afd-party https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/03/german-intelli...

ricardobayes 3y ago

If you want a counterpart, in Sweden almost no one uses cash and apart from hospitals almost no one is obligated to accept it.

anonyfox 3y ago

but we germans also severe backwards-oriented to begin with. all kinds of esoteric garbage in daily life is shared and believed in, most things of the modern world is looked at with mistrust, and so on. the bigger/international cities like hamburg or berlin are a stark contrast however, drive like 50 miles outside of them and not much has changed during the last 100 years, except for buildings/infrastructure in general. I carry like 20€ with me at all times for when I have to deal with these situations in an emergency, but turns out I increasingly don't need to replenish this cash in my wallet for months.

vidanay 3y ago
When I visit Germany, I am astounded at how many of my German coworkers dislike fresh air in the office. A beautiful 25c sunny day with a nice breeze, and I opened the window near my desk. Within five minutes, someone has closed it and given me a dirty look (no, the air conditioning is not on.)
- anonyfox 3y ago
  yeah, many people here actually believe that you get sick when you're in an air stream. Like between two open windows, or within an AC. But then go home and work in their windy garden for hours.
  - dzhiurgis 3y ago
    In Lithuania it's also: * drafts as you mentioned will get you a stiff neck (and absolutely it's not your crappy pillows) * going outside with wet hair * not wearing scarf, hat and gloves outside whenever there's slightest weather imperfection * not wearing socks and slippers indoors, despite being heated to comfy 22.5C * air conditioning, heat pumps, electric heating or any sort of fan blowing directly at you * getting your feet cold and wet * just merely breathing cold air indoors bonus: * treating feverish infant by wrapping them in additional layers and bedsheets This is shared across most intellectuals. Likely more embedded than some of the human rights we cherish in west. My family screamed, nearly disowned and accused me of "killing" my kids because of above. Even many in medical field believe this, tho actual doctors will say it's horseshit when pushed. And, no, the actual words from doctors mouth has never changed their view either.