The Safety of Cash and Debit Cards: A Study on the Perception and Behavior of Dutch Consumers

This paper investigates the impact of the perceived payment safety on debit card and cash usage. It provides a conceptual framework of safety perception and payment behavior, which is empirically tested using 2008 consumer survey data. The results show that consumers’ payment preferences are strongly influenced by their views on the safety of payment instruments. These views are determined mainly by consumers’ perception of the likelihood that payment incidents may occur. The seriousness of possible incidents is also considered, though to a much lesser degree. Personal characteristics and experiences of payment incidents are shown to play a significant role here.