From cash to mobiles: How we pay in Spain
Do you usually pay for your purchases with cash, a card or directly with your mobile? Do you prefer shopping in physical stores or the convenience of shopping online? Or perhaps you’re one of those who say, when splitting a bill, “I’ll Bizum you”.
Whichever way you prefer to pay, you will discover in this CIENxCIEN episode how means of payment are changing in Spain and how security and convenience are key in every transaction.
26/11/2025
"When we decide to choose one means of payment over another, we value aspects such as ease of use, privacy and cost. However, one of our main concerns, both in Spain and in the rest of Europe, is security.”
Digitalisation has reached our pockets: we have switched from physical to digital wallets, opening up a myriad of new possibilities in the way we pay.
I’m sure this scene is a familiar one when you go out for dinner with your friends. The bill arrives, someone pays the total amount with a card and it’s time to split the bill between all of you. One of your friends pays with cash, another decides to settle a previous debt and you Bizum the person who paid the bill. Your account balance immediately decreases and the other person receives a message saying a deposit has been made in their account for the same amount. What lies behind this everyday scene? How do we choose which means of payment to use in Spain in each situation?
Technology has led to the creation of different means of payment and the classic “Cash or card?” question now covers numerous options available for in-store and digital shopping and for person-to-person payments. We have tools at our fingertips, such as mobile payments (using digital wallets with our digitalised cards) and applications like PayPal or Bizum, which are gaining popularity due to their convenience and security.
In this new episode of CIENxCIEN, Ana Comellas invites Isabel Rodríguez and Álvaro Esandi, payment system experts at the Banco de España, to talk to us about new payment trends in Spain, why they are changing and what the differences are between making digital or physical payments at a shop or person-to-person.
Here are some clues: cash and cards are still the most frequently used means in the physical and digital spheres, respectively, but digitalisation is giving rise to new payment trends across the board.
Some of the reasons why we choose one means of payment over another are convenience, speed, cost, ease of use and privacy. And, above all, security, a priority for consumers and for the Banco de España.
Regardless of how you choose to pay, what’s important is that you have different options to ensure that your payments are viable, accessible and secure. Listen to our new episode of CIENxCIEN and find out how we pay in Spain.
Artistic note
This episode was recorded in the recently restored Salón de Cobradores at the Banco de España’s Cibeles headquarters. Inspired by neo-Arabic architecture, in the 19th century it was used for payments and collections, and to deliver securities.
