Why Is Cash (Still) So Entrenched? Insights From Canadian Shopping Diaries

Among many developed economies is the predominance of cash over electronic payments in terms of payment frequency, especially for the low-value transactions that are the bulk of retail payments. We use the Bank of Canada's 2009 Methods-of-Payment Survey, which collected information on consumers' payment choices through shopping diaries, to estimate a simple model of choice between cash and other payment methods. Results suggest that the main reasons cash is still a popular payment instrument in Canada, especially for low-value transactions, are its wide acceptance among merchants compared with other alternatives, speed and ease of use, and low marginal cost when on hand.

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