Everyday Payments in Qatar Increasingly Moving Away From Cash: Visa Report Highlights Payments Shift in Qatar

• Almost two thirds (62%) of consumers in Qatar now use digital payments for everyday purchases 
• The share of non-cash users is more than twice the size of those who still prefer physical money

Doha, Qatar — January 21, 2026:  Across Qatar, payment habits continue to rapidly evolve, with more consumers embracing faster, more secure digital experiences. Visa’s third edition Where Cash Hides’ report¹ shows 62% of Qatar consumers are largely non-cash users, making most of their payments with payments cards or mobile devices. This is an increase of 4% compared with last year, highlighting a clear move away from cash.

Digital Payments Break into Cash-Heavy Categories

The appeal of cash is also decreasing in day-to-day purchases. Only 28% of Qatar consumers surveyed use cash for everyday purchases, down from 31% last year. This downward trend is visible across all major categories where cash remains popular, including local markets (-16%), petrol stations (-9%), and bills (-7%).

For everyday spending such as petrol, bill payment, and eating out, cards are the payment method of choice, while mobile payments appear more often in occasional purchases. In making payments to another person (or peer-to-peer (P2P) payments), tips are still paid in cash by 55% of Qatar consumers, the most common remaining cash use. Cash is also widely used for peer-to-peer services (44%) and for international money transfers through exchange houses (17%).

“The shift we see in Qatar is less about one payment method replacing another, and more about how confident people have become in using digital options,” said Shashank Singh, Visa’s VP and General Manager for Qatar and Kuwait. “As more people try mobile and card payments in their daily lives and their expectations evolve, too. Consumers want payment options that are quick, convenient, and safe. When digital solutions meet these expectations, they naturally become the preferred choice."

The findings of Visa’s Where Cash Hides research suggest Qatar consumers’ growing reliance on digital payments because they are more convenient, secure and rewarding. Compared to cash, debit and credit cards offer consumers greater security, convenience, and transparency. They eliminate the risks of carrying physical money, enable seamless online and in-store purchases, and provide instant transaction records for better budgeting. Mobile payments offer enhanced convenience and security through tokenization, which replaces sensitive card details with unique digital identifiers so the actual card number is never shared.

Credit cards also come with rewards programs, cashback offers, and travel or lifestyle benefits, value benefits that consumers have come to expect when they spend at home or travel abroad.