Do New Jersey residents still carry cash? New data reveals a big shift

Cash Use Dropped To Twelve Percent As Digital Payments Take Over

Are you someone who NEVER carries cash? I am. I hardly ever use my debit card or an actual credit card either. With Apple Pay, it's so easy to make purchases right on my phone. There's no need for me to lug around a big wallet anymore. I have everything in my digital wallet, so I just grab my phone and go.

The only place that used to get me was Walmart, but they changed their policy within the past couple of months, and now you can use Apple Pay there, too.

When I was younger, I would hear it all the time from my dad: how it's a good idea to carry a little cash in case of an emergency, but times have definitely changed when it comes to how we pay.

Photo by Vagaro on Unsplash

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Nearly Half Of Americans Stopped Using Cash Entirely For Weekly Purchases

According to a 2026 Pew Research Center survey, over the past decade, the percentage of people who say they use cash for all or almost all of their purchases in an average week has gone from 24% to 12%, with 42% now saying they don’t use cash for ANY purchases throughout the week, up from 24% nearly 10 years ago.

When asked what payment option people prefer for in-person shopping, 78% said they prefer to pay with a credit or debit card.