2020 could really have been the turning point for the transition from cash to digital, 2021 is called to consolidate a change in habits towards payment methods that have transformed “from an alternative to a necessity”, as the title of the report states. of the Innovative Payments Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano.
A report that captures a reality in which, in the face of an estimated 13% drop in consumption, “digital payments have represented a concrete response enabling not only remote purchases, but also physical remote purchases, without contact”, he underlines Valeria Portale, director of the Observatory.
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So last year digital payments reached 5.2 billion in terms of transactions, going from 29% to 33% of the total value of payments in Italy, with a transaction value of 268 billion, down 0, 7%, but against the double-digit decline in consumption. Penetration therefore increases with respect to cash, which still remains by far the most widely used means, without allowing Italy to improve its position in Europe where it remains 24th out of 27: the 77 digital transactions per capita are just over half of the 141 of the EU average. Behind us there are only Germany, Romania and Bulgaria, all countries with higher growth than ours.
In changing behavior, however, the Government’s action was decisive with the choice to impose the tax deduction only in the face of digital payments and with the much discussed Cashback operation and receipt lottery, which just yesterday saw the first winners.
As regards cards, credit cards recorded a decrease of 15% mainly linked to the deterioration of the travel sector, while prepaid cards recorded a rebound of 15.5% thanks to their use for online purchases and for assignment of citizenship income.