 As it happened to you that you tried to pay in cash and it wasn't accepted, more and more shops are accepting electronic means of payment. During the pandemic, some stores even went one step further, refusing cash altogether. According to a recent survey, we carried out, cash is the most frequently used means of payment in the euro area and people value being able to use cash as a way to pay. Not everyone has access to debit, credit card or digital means of payment. So cash is essential for the inclusion of all groups of society, regardless of age, income or education. This is why the ECB, together with the National Central Banks of the Euro Area, has adopted a new cash strategy. This is to ensure you always have sufficient access to cash and cash remains widely accepted and available. We want to give you the freedom to choose how you pay, whether in cash or digitally, both now and in the future.