Many banks and businesses in Sweden no longer accept cash and the church is adapting so that people can continue to donate
ADVERTISEMENTOne Swedish mother said that when she was a child, her father gave her coins to donate in church. She said she cannot do that for her children so instead, she shows them an app on her phone and lets them donate money that way.
More and more Swedes are using mobile apps to send and receive payments as the country pushes for a cash-free future.
Sweden is fast becoming one of the most cashless societies in the world.
More have access to a payment card in the country than to cash, according to data from the country’s central bank, the Riksbank. And over 85% have access to online banking.
Many banks and business no longer handle cash and refuse to deal with it. Consumers instead must pay with card or mobile applications.
One place that is pushing to adapt to cashless life is the Swedish church.
Churches in Sweden are funded by an optional tax, which around 60% of Swedes paid it in 2017.
One church in Stockholm, Sunbyberg Church, is the first church in Sweden to go cashless.
The churchwarden said it’s very hard to handle cash donations as no bank in the area accepts it.
So a small placard on display with details of paying through a mobile app is on display so church visitors can donate digitally.
It says up to half of recent donations come from a cashless mobile app.
For more, watch the report in the video above.