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Payment cards growing in popularity, says survey
4 Oct 2011

More people are living without cash than they were a decade ago, the results of a new study in New Zealand have suggested.

The 2011 Visa Debit Savvy Shopper Survey found that five per cent of those surveyed do not carry any cash at all, while 62 per cent usually have less than NZ$20 (£9.80) with them.

Furthermore, more than a third of consumers would be happy to eliminate the need for cash altogether and rely solely on contactless smart cards and payment cards, with 40 per cent of those responding to the study carrying debit cards at all times.

Sean Preston, Visa's New Zealand country manager, said payment methods are "evolving with innovation".

He added: "New Zealanders are ready to embrace new ways to pay and this will have clear implications on the way New Zealand retailers do business."

Similarly, recent research undertaken by Visa Europe revealed 58 per cent of contactless smart card users prefer such payments to cash or other cards if they are in a hurry.