Contante

Contante is a term used primarily in Italian and, to a lesser extent, in Portuguese-speaking contexts to denote cash or cash payments. In Italian, contante functions as both an adjective and a noun and is used in everyday and formal language to distinguish payments made in physical currency from those made with cards or other digital means. Common phrases include pagamento in contanti or pagare in contante, meaning paying with cash.

In Portuguese, contante is understood in reference to cash; however, everyday speech more often uses dinheiro em espécie. The word does appear in formal or legal texts to designate payments made in cash, as opposed to transfers or credit.

Cash is legal tender in many countries, typically accepted for settling debts up to certain limits and mandated by monetary authorities. Laws and regulations often impose reporting requirements or caps on large cash transactions to combat tax evasion, money laundering, and the financing of crime. The share of cash payments has declined in many economies due to card, mobile, and online payments, but contante remains important for small retailers, informal markets, and individuals without access to digital banking.

The contante economy raises considerations of security and counterfeit risk for merchants, needs for secure handling, and considerations for retailers in pricing and accounting practices. In modern payment systems, contante coexists with digital methods, sometimes supported by policies that encourage cashless payments while preserving the option of cash for routine transactions.