---
title: "VI. Cash, Check, Debit or Credit?"
description: "VI. Cash, Check, Debit or Credit? Consumers have more choice than ever before when it comes to how to make a transaction for goods and services – the old standbys of cash and checks are now side-by-side with debit and credit card options for many goods and services. While some have speculated that we are […]"
date: "2007-02-07"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2007/02/07/vi-cash-check-debit-or-credit/"
---

# VI. Cash, Check, Debit or Credit?

## VI. Cash, Check, Debit or Credit?

![Figure](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/legacy/318-interior.gif)

Consumers have more choice than ever before when it comes to how to make a transaction for goods and services - the old standbys of cash and checks are now side-by-side with debit and credit card options for many goods and services. While some have speculated that we are moving towards a cashless - or at least a checkless - society, that verdict seems premature. When it comes to both everyday living purchases and monthly bill-paying, the Pew survey finds that both the old and new payment modes have their following.

For everyday purchases, about four-in-ten (37%) report they rely on cash, while 31% rely on debit cards and about half as many use either checks (15%) or credit cards (16%).

Those with lower incomes rely mostly on cash for everyday living expenses; 54% of those with incomes under $30,000 do so compared with 24% among those with incomes of at least $100,000 annually.

![Figure](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/legacy/320-interior.gif)

For monthly bill-paying, more than half (54%) of adults say that they mostly use checks, while 28% say they mostly make electronic or online payments and 15% say they mostly use cash.

[A majority of every age group save one - adults under age 30 - relies on checks for most of their bill-paying](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2007/02/07/what-americans-pay-for-and-how/321-3/). Among adults ages 65 and older 71% mostly use checks to pay their bills; this figure drops to 63% among those ages 50 to 64 and 51% among those ages 30 to 49. Among adults under age 30 about a third (35%) use checks for most of their bill-paying while three-in-ten use cash and 32% pay bills electronically.

Among Internet users, a 53% majority reports paying most bills by check while 35% pay electronically and 10% pay in cash.