{"id":17452,"date":"2026-08-03T12:07:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T10:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paynopain.com\/?p=17452"},"modified":"2026-08-03T12:07:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T10:07:58","slug":"holiday-payment-methods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paynopain.com\/en\/blog\/holiday-payment-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"From mobile wallets to cash: how travelers pay on holiday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Travelling involves making countless decisions. One of the most important, although it often goes unnoticed, is how to pay. Every summer, millions of Spaniards book hotels, buy tickets, pay for activities and spend money in restaurants and shops during their holidays. And although digital payments continue to gain ground, cash still plays an important role when travelling.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the study <\/span>Payment Methods: The Final Decision 2026<\/i><\/strong>, conducted by PaynoPain, Spaniards combine different payment methods to minimise risks while on holiday. These payment habits have a direct impact on the tourism sector, as having a virtual POS, a payment gateway or a card terminal capable of accepting different payment methods can make the difference between securing a sale or losing a booking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Below, we analyse how travelers pay during their holidays and what these habits mean for hotels, tourist accommodation providers<\/strong> and other businesses in the sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>How do travelers pay during their holidays?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Card, digital wallets or cash: how travelers pay while on holiday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The data reveals a hybrid payment behaviour in which cards, <\/span>digital wallets<\/b> and cash coexist, influenced by the actual payment experience, the infrastructure available at the destination and users’ perception of risk. Let’s take a closer look.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the survey, cards are the most commonly used payment method during holidays (58%), while mobile payments and digital wallets such as <\/span>Apple Pay<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Google Pay<\/span><\/a> rank second (24.10%). Cash comes third (17.75%). Although it has lost prominence as the <\/span>primary payment method<\/b>, it continues to play a structural role throughout the trip.<\/span><\/p>\n

This combination shows that consumers no longer rely on a single payment method. Instead, they choose different options depending on the business, the country or the type of purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n

For hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses, these findings highlight the importance of accepting multiple payment methods both on-site and for online bookings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cash: from primary payment method to backup option<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the study’s most significant findings is that <\/span>92% of travellers carry cash when travelling abroad<\/b>, demonstrating that its role has changed. It is no longer the primary payment method but rather a contingency tool.<\/span><\/p>\n

The results are clearly distributed:<\/span><\/p>\n