Annual mobile/wearable spending in Italy 2019-2021, in local currency and USD
among Europe's most cash reliant countries. The source cites the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase of the card limit from 25 euros to 50 euros as the main drivers for change. The value of payments made with a contactless or tap to pay payment option was roughly 133.5 billion euros in 2021 - of which mobile wallets on smartphones or wearables made up seven billion euros.
Contactless payments with phones or wearables in Italy recorded a growth figure of more than 100 percent between 2020 and 2021. This was a significant development for a country that is said to be