Overview

• The Nationalbank recommends at least 250 kroner per person kept at home in small notes and coins so shops can make change if cash use spikes.
• July’s network failure left most card payments in Denmark down for about three hours, with earlier prolonged power cuts in Spain, Portugal and parts of France cited as further warnings.
• Denmark is among Europe’s most cash‑light societies, where mobile payments are routine and cash use is uncommon outside of tourists.
• An ECB study recently found cash’s practical and psychological value increases when stability is threatened, underscoring its role during disruptions.
• Elsewhere in Europe, Germany’s civil protection agency advises keeping emergency cash for at least three days without specifying an amount, and Sweden plans store‑level offline card payments from mid‑2026 while advising roughly a week’s cash at home.