MasterCard (NYSE: MA) today unveiled a new global report, "The Cashless Journey," that tracks how 33 major economies are progressing from cash-based to cashless societies.
The report, produced by MasterCard Advisors, identifies new technologies, government programs and consumer preferences as key factors that are driving this shift, creating more productive and inclusive economies.
Key findings of MasterCard's "Cashless Journey" report:
The report identifies Belgium (where an estimated 93% of the value of consumer spend was cashless), France (92%), Canada (90%), the UK (89%), Sweden (89%), Australia (86%) and the Netherlands (85%) as countries where cashless payments are nearly ubiquitous, and attributes the broad movement away from cash to the uptake of new cashless payment technologies such as mobile, contactless and EMV Chip and a modern payments infrastructure.