WELYN GARDEN CITY, United Kingdom—More than two-thirds (67%) of all purchases in PayPoint’s network of convenience stores, which have boomed in popularity as people shopped locally during the pandemic, were made with cash during fiscal year 2020-21, according to a new study by PayPoint. One in five (21%) U.K. residents used an ATM two to three times per week during the past year.

Of the 48 U.K counties included in the study, 43 have an overall cash reliance score of more than 50%, indicating that the need for cash by millions of people to support day-to-day expenditures is still of major importance across the whole of the United Kingdom. Sixty-four percent of Brits and 67% of Scots think more should be done to protect cash.

“Among continued sensationalism and scaremongering over the decline of cash, it is more important than ever that we recognize its continued importance to communities around the U,K.,” said Nick Wiles, CEO of PayPoint, in a press release. “Despite the rise of digital payments during the pandemic, we must not forget that many people are still reliant on cash, and they are also often the most vulnerable in society.”

The most cash-friendly region is County Down in Northern Ireland, where 69% of customers prefer to pay with banknotes and coins, while the most cash-adverse county is Oxfordshire, where 46% indicated they like to pay with cash.

These findings are aligned with The Mail’s Keep Our Cash campaign, which supports continued access to cash on main street businesses, This is Money reports. Another study found 8 million people rely on cash for budgeting and basic shopping.

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