COVID-19 and cash usage in Belgium: have we reached an inflection point?

This article presents and discusses selected results of the newly created Digital Payment Barometer, an annual nationally representative survey among more than 1,100 Belgians. As in other countries, in Belgium too the COVID 19 pandemic triggered a shift towards contactless payments at the point-of-sale. We analyse how this has affected Belgians’ cash usage, their payment preferences, as well as their attitude towards a possible cashless society. When possible, comparisons are made with other countries.