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How much cash should you have on you or at home in Denmark?

A small cash reserve for outages

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Short answer

There is no rule on how much cash you must carry in Denmark, but the official guideline from October 2025 is to keep about 250 kroner per household member as a backup in case card or phone payments fail. In 2025, 64 % of Danes usually carried cash. Regular cash users had about 648 kroner on them on average, others about 275 kroner, and 41 % had more than 1,000 kroner in cash.

Practical info

Why

  1. Card and payment systems can fail, as the Nets outage in 2025 showed.
  2. Small notes and coins make it easier for shops to give change.
  3. Shops must still take cash in the daytime.

Details

Every household should also have at least two physical payment cards of different brands and remember the PIN codes, since offline card payments usually need them.

Tip

Keep part of your cash in coins and small notes rather than one large note.

What may differ

The recommended amount is a guideline, and you should judge if your household needs more.

Common misconception

In Denmark you never need any cash at all.

What actually happens

A small cash reserve is recommended as a backup for card and phone payments.

People also ask

  • Is Denmark a cashless country?
  • Are there still ATMs in Denmark?
  • Do shops in Denmark have to accept cash?

Sources

This answer is for reference only. Payment rules, limits and fees change, so check the official sources or your bank before you pay.

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