This study seeks to provide the European Central Bank (ECB) with a thorough understanding of the current payment habits of citizens of euro area countries and specifically their attitudes towards digital payment methods.
In addition, it aims to explore the user perspective on new digital payment methods and potential key features which could drive the adoption of a new digital means of payment with a view to further informing the Eurosystem’s investigation of a possible digital euro. Participants were not immediately presented with the concept of a digital euro for a number of reasons, including the inherent complexity and novelty of the concept of central bank digital currencies in general and the concept of the digital euro in particular, as well as the need to avoid allowing people’s perceptions of the provider to prejudice their views on the payment method.
Instead, the concept of a new “digital wallet” was introduced to encourage discussions about possible desirable features and functionalities of a new digital payment method in comparison to those already on the market. The concept of the digital euro was introduced towards the end to explore the existing level of knowledge and understanding among respondents as well as people’s perceptions of a digital euro backed by the ECB/Eurosystem.
This report is based on insights from qualitative research conducted in all euro area countries. To ensure the robustness of the research and to obtain a holistic overview of the perceptions and attitudes on the topic, a carefully selected range of target audiences were interviewed across all 19 euro area countries, including 2,160 members of the general public, 142 tech-savvy participants, 138 merchants and retailers, and 89 individuals with limited access to banking services or the internet, all of whom were interviewed using a qualitative approach tailored for each target group.
The research methodology is presented in more detail in chapter 2. The results from the research are presented per target audience starting from chapter 3. Country f iches in Annex 1 provide information about the context at a country level, equally highlighting any divergences from the main research results.
Source: Kantar Public