2020 Vision: News in Brief

Did much happen this year? A moment to reflect.

At the start of the year Cash & Payment News (CPN) commented on key trends in the last 10 years:

1.The adoption of new payment technology 

2.The rise of e-commerce

3.The ‘cash paradox’ (rising cash in circulation alongside falling cash transactions)

4.The decline in cheques

5.Vanishing coins

6.Changing cash distribution models

7.The emergence of digital currencies, but no mention of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

What a great summary. This year has seen 1 and 2 come into their own, with cash payments retreating as retailers react to the pandemic. The pandemic has, of course, also seen coin circulation severely disrupted and cheque usage fall even further.

The cash paradox has been revealed in country after country and is again covered in this edition (see page 5).