Seeking Security, Consumers Are Not Giving Up on Cash

Summary

Despite the rise of digital wallets, more than half of U.S. consumers say their cash usage has stayed steady or grown, driven primarily by concerns over privacy and identity theft. A strong majority want cash to remain available for national security, disaster resilience, and believe businesses should be required to accept it, backing the pending Payment Choice Act. While some merchants push back against mandatory cash acceptance, proposals like Ohio’s CASH Act aim to balance consumer access with retailer flexibility.