Almost all transactions are done by card in the UK. Debit and credit cards are the norm. The Eu varies, I believe.

Søren Mexico wrote:

Is it normal in EU, not to have a credit card.

In Germany, it didn't used to be. I got caught out a couple of times in Germany trying to pay by card. Over here in the UK we'd put an expensive restaurant bill on our card. We'd never pay by cash. In fact, the restaurant would probably think you were trying to launder fake notes if you attempted to pay for a large bill in cash.

In Germany, it's the other way around. I took our German office for a meal once - there were about 12 of us in total. We all had a few courses, beer and asked for the bill. Wasn't cheap. I asked to pay and a bloke appeared at the table with a purse attached to his waist. They ONLY accepted cash! I didn't have enough; everyone had to chip in :)

Went for a meal in a restaurant pizza chain. Bizarrely, even in a chain, they didn't take cards either. Simply as no-one in Germany pays for food by card. Well, they didn't a few years ago. Probably changed a bit by now, but I got a shock over there, for sure.

Had the same in DK, invited my small family to dine in the best restaurant in town, the Bill was some DKr, 8,000.00 , and who runs around with 1,600.00 US in cash, I had to go to ACM and run 3 different cards through it, as luck will there was an ACM nearby, ACMs are few in DK, outside the citys forget it.

The common cards work in pretty much every kiosk in Finland - only those trying to pay with Diners' or Amex may have to resort to another card in many places. An online card payment system may cost as little as 35 euros per month for the merchant, so why not.

The most remote villages may have lost their last ATM in recent years, but any place you could possibly call a "town" will have lots of them.

At our shop the balance between cash / card is nowadays something like 30/70%. The groups that pay with cash are most often those who get their income without receipt, some people don't want the wife to see in the balance where the money has gone, some people can't have money on their accounts as the repo men would take them immediately, and lastly the Russians have deep pockets and only pay in cash...

Without cards, in Mexico the crime rate would go up some 100 %, in 20 years I have been robbed 3 times, all 3 times with a pistol to or near my head.

The credit card companies are irresponsible, they give cards to anyone, some card brands have interest rates up to 50% annual, once a year they want a fee for the card, I normally tells them to cancel my card or no or deduced fee, it works with some not all.

I have a company card which I'm allowed to use for business purposes only. Amex first but not always accepted especially in the Middle East countries. Master now! 

In Holland it's not common to use CC, we prefer to pay cash.

Here in the US ATMs, debit cards, and credit cards are king. And many people don't know how to handle it and get in way over their heads in debt. I use mine a lot at restaurants and such, but I always pay off the bill each month. It's just easier, especially given the lack of math skills most wait staff seem to possess. Making change seems to be a mathematical problem akin to special relativity. 

Not carrying a large amount of cash does have obvious advantages with respect to crime, but then here it's not hard to get a concealed firearms license, and more people carry than you might think. Tends to make the criminals a tad less aggressive not knowing, which is why the crooks here tend to prey primarily on tourists. Despite what the naysayers have said, every state that adopted concealed carry laws saw reductions in violent crime. Not to stray into too controversial a topic here. 

cleviebaby has a good point, i agree