SEATTLE — How many times did you use cash to buy something in the past week?
If you said “none,” you’re hardly alone. A survey from Pew Research Center found 41% of Americans didn’t use cash for any purchases in a typical week last year. Only 14% used cash for all, or nearly all, of their purchases.
The survey also showed the majority (54%) of adults between the ages of 18 and 50 don’t worry about whether they have cash on hand when they go out.
The increasing prevalence of cashless transactions, bolstered by smartphone payment apps, has enabled a growing number of businesses in the Seattle area to stop accepting paper money.
For folks who don’t have access to a credit card or bank account — typically poor people — this is a problem.
The Metropolitan King County Council is currently considering legislation to require restaurants, store and shops to accept cash, a move supporters say would ensure residents without access to banking services can still make purchases. The measure would only apply to unincorporated areas of the county. A vote on the proposal was delayed Tuesday as it appeared it may not have enough support to pass.
Pew data shows 59% of people nationwide with a household income of at least $100,000 never use cash in a typical week, compared with just 24% of people with a household income less than $30,000.
The number of King County residents who don’t use a credit or debit card is relatively small. Market research data from Nielsen shows 97% of the 1.85 million adults who live in King County have used a debit or credit card in the past three months.
Nielsen data also shows about 2% of King County households — that’s roughly 20,000 households — do not have a bank account. A similar number of county households have used a check cashing or cash advance service, or a title loan shop, in the past three months.
Meanwhile, the use of “digital wallet” apps for in-store purchases has surged. About 41% of King County residents say they’ve made purchases using Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay in the past three months.
Apple Pay was used by about 25% of King County adults over 18 in the past three months, according to the Nielsen data released this year — that’s up from 11% in 2020.
Google Pay, which is less popular, has also seen a significant increase. The data shows 19% of King County adults have used the service in the past three months, up from 7% in 2020.
Samsung Pay is only used by 4% of King County adults.
Younger people in general are more likely to adopt new technologies, and this holds true with mobile wallet apps. King County adults who use these apps have a median age of 37.8 years, according to Nielsen. That’s significantly younger than the median age for the total adult population, which is 43.9 years.
These apps are also more likely to be used by King County residents who work professional or management occupations, and who have attained a four-year college degree. About 45% of men use these apps, compared with 37% of women.
The most widely used mobile payment services in King County are PayPal, Venmo and Zelle. These are not primarily used for in-store purchases, but rather for transferring money to friends, family and businesses.
PayPal is the only mobile payment service used by the majority of King County residents, with 58% of adults saying they’ve used it in the past three months. Venmo ranks second, used by about 43%, and Zelle is third, at 32%.
