The latest PYMNTS Global Cash Index™ Americas Edition  (a Cardtronics collaboration) reveals that cash is very much still king in the Americas.

Excerpt from PYMNTS Global Cash Index™ Spanish Edition (page 2)

In the Americas, cash is still being put to use by a solid chunk of the population, notably among North American nations. In the U.S., for example, it continues to be the most popular method of payment for small-value, everyday purchases.

What’s more, an estimated 24 percent of U.S. citizens make all their purchases using cash...

...PYMNTS research found that roughly half of Mexican households do not have access to a bank account and, as a result, rely solely on cash. The same research estimates that cash use in the country will grow at a CAGR of 20.4 percent between 2016 and 2021.

Key findings include:

  • In the U.S., cash usage grew by 4.7% per year between 2000 and 2015.
  • Cash accounts for 90% of consumer transactions in Mexico.
  • Approximately 80% of Brazilian households have a payment card, which is used for 30% of household purchases.
  • The value of cash-based transactions made in the Americas in 2016 is valued at approximately $3.02 trillion.