Now that the US sees the EU as a potential enemy, Europe has moved to ensure its financial system can never be sanctioned or shut down; something the US has done to Russia, Cuba, and Iran.
By late 2025,efforts centered on the Digital Euro,a nonprofit payment system run by the EuropeanCentral Bank (like euro cash). Due by 2030, it would offer lower fees and quickly replace much Visa and Mastercard usage.
While still in development,other solutions arrived sooner. Instant bank-to-bank payments, bypassing cards, are expanding rapidly.
In February, 130 million users across 13 national systems were linked in a Europe-wide networkbaiming to cover all of Europe. Fees are a fraction of Visa/Mastercard, though unlike the Digital Euro, it’s not yet available as a debit card; only online and on phones.
The EU also wants to decouple from US software and is preparing its own alternative to Microsoft Office.
Those are the exception not the norm. Pretty much every store including the convenience store part of gas stations will always have tap 95% of the time and you can even prepay inside the gas station convenience store with a card with tap I would assume. I guess if you live in New Jersey you don’t even have to get out of your car to get gas lol.
Palm Trees aren’t trees, btw.
My experience contradicts this. I live in a blue state and would put the percentage of gas pumps that accept tap payments at 15%. Because most of the pumps that support tap have it disabled. You get an error if you even try to use it. Other nearby states seem even worse off. I don’t know where you live that has its shit so well together but it clearly isn’t here