Sweden nearly gave up cash, then passed a law to save it.
Only 5 per cent of Swedes paid cash for their last purchase in a shop in 2025, says the Riksbank, and one small business in three refuses it. Since 1 July 2026 grocery shops and pharmacies must accept cash at a staffed till, which tells you how far it had gone. Bring a card or phone wallet; Swish, the app everyone pays with, needs a Swedish personal number and bank account.



