CIVIC LANE Bank of Italy data reported on August 27 showed contactless cards accounting for 88% of card payments at physical terminals in 2025. Mobile devices represented 24% of physical-point-of-sale transactions, although cash remained the most common method by number of purchases overall. Faster digital payments can improve convenience but also increase dependence on networks, data systems and fraud controls. Consumers and merchants may weigh privacy, cash access, fees, security and speed very differently. The transition raises a broader question about which safeguards should accompany an increasingly contactless economy.