Why does Germany not use cards?

You know, it's funny how Germany is so… cash-centric? Like, seriously, why don't they use cards more? I was there last year, in Berlin, and I remember trying to buy a currywurst from this little street vendor, and he just looked at me blankly when I pulled out my Visa. Cash only! Can you believe it? It's not like they're behind the times technologically or anything – I mean, Germany's a pretty advanced country!

Apparently, it's a real cultural thing. They've just always preferred cash. My friend, who's German, told me it's all about privacy and control over spending. Makes sense, I guess. If you physically see the money leaving your hand, maybe you're less likely to overspend? Who knows. But it's definitely different from, say, here in Canada where I practically never carry cash anymore. Is that bad? Maybe.

I read somewhere that this cash preference also affects businesses. Like, if everyone's using cash, why bother investing in card readers and paying those transaction fees, right? So it becomes this kind of self-perpetuating cycle. Even though card use is growing there, it's still way behind other places. It's changing, slowly, but cash is still king in Germany. It's just… interesting, you know? It really makes you think about different cultural attitudes towards money.