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A Bank of Lithuania survey has highlighted evolving payment habits in the country, with 62 percent of consumers favouring payment cards and electronic settlements.

In addition, flexibility is increasing, with more consumers alternating between cash and digital methods.

Barriers to preferred payments have eased in public services, with issues in healthcare and cultural facilities dropping by 19 and 10 points, respectively, over five years. However, more than half of cardholders still face challenges in industries such as hospitality.

Mobile payment apps are widely used, with 68 percent of account holders relying on them. Users making transfers via apps rose to 87 percent, a 22-point jump in a year, while contactless mobile payments increased by nine points to 35 percent.

Fourteen percent of respondents with a payment account reported making payments via phone number. Of these, 90 percent use this method to pay friends and family and 30 percent use it to pay for services provided by individuals, an area where the central bank said it wanted more uptake.��

"Payment by phone number allows mobile app users to quickly and conveniently transfer money to people in their mobile phone contact list,” said Vaiva Petrylė, chief economist of the market infrastructure policy department of the Bank of Lithuania.��

“We hope that [it] will become popular and payments will be made not only between friends and family members, but also when paying for services to natural persons; for example, paying your hairdresser, beautician or plumber.”

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