Towards a cashless Maltese society

Abstract

The use of cash is one topic which is greatly affected by technology as new payment methods are developed. With the constant advancements of technology, new innovations such as contactless cards and digital wallets have become widely available. Some countries such as Sweden and China, however, are promoting these innovations and the benefits of using cashless methods more than other countries. What Sweden, China, and other countries with rising cashless payments have in common is a deep infrastructure and ecosystem that provide support for a digital economy. The aim of this study was to investigate if the development of the new technologies mentioned above has impacted the use of cash in Malta. As a result, exploring if people are still heavily dependent on cash because Malta does not offer the proper services and infrastructure or because of other factors. It was found that consumers want to use cashless payments, however, because banks charge high fees on cashless transactions some vendors are not inclined to offer cashless services. This makes consumers resort to cash further which highlights the lack of infrastructure. In order to improve Malta’s cashless payment infrastructure, local banks must improve their services offered to consumers and businesses. Also, more government intervention and incentives are required in order to educate consumers about the benefits of using cashless methods, with the goal of reaching a cashless society.