The number of Dutch retailers and other service providers which don’t accept cash has remained steady on last year, but more car parks, cinemas and pharmacies are going card only, according to research carried out for the central bank.

Cash is no longer accepted at a quarter of the country’s car parks, compared with 16% a year ago. Like last year, 4% of retailers have a “pin only” policy, and say security is the main reason they won’t accept cash.

The report is based on research at 5,100 shops, service providers and market stalls across the country.

The European parliament is currently considering the possibilities of introducing a cash acceptance requirement for retailers. “We believe it is important to harmonise the rules in this area across the European Union as much as possible,” the central bank said.