Cash Doesn't Only Save You Money, It Keeps Your Finances Private

Frane Maroevic, Director General, International Currency Association

At a time when payment apps and digital wallets flood our lives, it is easy to forget what cash in your pocket can do for you. And not just in sentimental ways. A new study commissioned by Germany’s Bundesbank offers a powerful reminder of why.

From a purely financial standpoint, cash wins.

Taking into account various factors The study found that the average cash payment costs just €0.38 for consumers, far lower than debit cards (€0.74) or credit cards (€1.34). In a world where every euro counts, that difference is not small. It adds up, silently saving people money day after day.

But the story of cash is not just about cost. It is about control.

Nearly 85% of people surveyed said they trust cash to protect their privacy. In an era when almost everything we do leaves a trace—every search, every swipe, every checkout—cash offers a rare kind of invisibility. It asks no questions. It keeps no records. It belongs to you, fully and without conditions.

Even as digital payments become easier, half of Germans still prefer to pay with cash in stores. It is not stubbornness. It is a quiet resistance against a future where access to your own money might depend on an app update, a system working, or a platform policy.

And there is something grounding about cash. It does not vanish into a tap or a screen. You see it, you hold it, you know what you are spending, and once it is gone, it is gone. No illusions. No invisible debts.

We often talk about cash as if it is fading away. But maybe what is really disappearing is the freedom it represents. Freedom to spend our money when and where we want. Freedom to live without being tracked. Freedom to control our lives.