Cash is needed to enable everyone to pay and to provide an additional means of payment in the event of crisis or war. The Riksbank therefore considers that there should be a general obligation for merchants to accept cash for purchases of essential goods. The Cash Inquiry makes proposals in this direction, which the Riksbank welcomes.

At the same time, cash is sometimes used for criminal purposes. To make it more difficult for the criminal economy, the Riksbank considers that a maximum amount should be introduced for cash purchases. Today, the Money Laundering Act requires companies to carry out customer due diligence if customers make cash payments over EUR 5,000. When the EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation enters into force in 2027, the maximum amount for cash payments within the EU will be EUR 10 000. However, lower limits for cash purchases are common in many European countries, such as Denmark, with a limit of DKK 15 000, or Spain and Italy with a maximum amount of EUR 1 000. With an appropriately designed threshold, people who want and need to use cash for legitimate reasons can continue to do so and the resilience of society can be maintained. At the same time, it will be more difficult to engage in money laundering, tax evasion and get rid of large sums of cash obtained through criminal activities such as the purchase of luxury goods. An appropriate threshold could be designed with inspiration from our neighbouring countries and the rest of Europe.