In Germany, where 80% of transactions are carried out in cash, card payments aren’t considered secure. Fintech start-up Number26 intends to change this perception, as – even in the land of pretzels, biergartens and traditionalism – people begin to test the waters of digital banking.

Do you hate fumbling with change at the checkout? This is no longer a problem in France. An app named Lydia now lets its users send and receive money for free using just their smartphone – and the most recent update makes it easier than ever to make payments.

Infamous cryptocurrency Bitcoin is renowned for enabling its users to buy illegal goods online. But thanks to a Berlin-based cluster of brick-and-mortar stores, people can buy a beer with Bitcoin now, too. But what do retailers stand to gain from accepting a currency that’s still so underused?

The myth of the thrifty German spender is being dispelled – for now at least. Germans are spending more than they have for the last 13 years, and the population's tendency to save is lower than it has been for a long time. So why are Germans in the mood to shop?