Cashless Society

[AllSeeingEye123]

We must stop Britain sleepwalking into a dystopian cashless future

archived 31 May 2021 09:28:55 UTC

archive.is

That appears to be what we are heading towards bit by bit. Businesses using covid as an excuse to expect you to pay by card when there is no evidence cash handling is dangerous (if you think it is I will happily take your money off you). Around eight million people in the UK dependent on paying on cash. Many more of us trying to save cash from being obsolete because it's easier to budget, easier to know how much you've spent, you know you haven't been overcharged (like looking at online banking to see your £2 drink you got charged a fiver for) and don't like paying on card for such small priced items like when in Greggs and someone buys their £1 sausage roll on card. I hate card only self checkouts putting people out of work so in a supermarket I always get served by a real person and pay cash.

 

[Piff paff puff]

We must stop Britain sleepwalking into a dystopian cashless future

archived 31 May 2021 09:28:55 UTC

archive.is

That appears to be what we are heading towards bit by bit. Businesses using covid as an excuse to expect you to pay by card when there is no evidence cash handling is dangerous (if you think it is I will happily take your money off you). Around eight million people in the UK dependent on paying on cash. Many more of us trying to save cash from being obsolete because it's easier to budget, easier to know how much you've spent, you know you haven't been overcharged (like looking at online banking to see your £2 drink you got charged a fiver for) and don't like paying on card for such small priced items like when in Greggs and someone buys their £1 sausage roll on card. I hate card only self checkouts putting people out of work so in a supermarket I always get served by a real person and pay cash.

Yeah. I've used cash almost Exclusively throughout corona as I did before and would like it always to be an option but it's just a matter of time before we're cashless. I never thought I'd say it but when I have had to use card I did see the pros like recently thinking I'd lost my purse with the added worry of all my cards in there. It got me thinking about using my Google pay but then you can easily lose your phone too
Another thing, my purse weighs a ton with coins. Also there would be less victims of crime.
It'll be a micro chip in the hand in future progressing through to paying for items through linking our brains to computers, by then people will probably be hybrid AI/human and we'll be dust.

 

[Frograbbit]

A cashless society worries me for so many reasons

 

[Apple In My Pie]

I discussed this at university a few months ago - a store that was designed to be cashless, you didn’t even pay with your card - you waved your hand at a scanner and that was what ‘paid‘ for your shopping (although did need your card to set it up/link your card w/ your hand initially).

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I like the ease of using my card but I find it worrying esp if a cashless society is the ‘end goal’, it’s a restrictive decision which excludes people e.g. the older generation may be more used to handling cash than card/technology (sorry massive generalisation there ), it means you have more to lose (I’d rather lose the £20 I keep in my purse than the few thousand in my bank). Even stuff likes phones now - I was in Tesco the other week and realised that while there was a contactless card spend limit of £45, there was no limit for Apple Pay or the like... so if I lost my phone there and then my entire bank could be drained. And stores like the above, while they aren’t commonplace ATM, I find confusing as surely the AI, which detects your palm movements, could be mistaken and under/overcharge you?!

 

[Yel]

I think it's inevitable at this point. Running a business that takes cash has fees and hassle associated that at best are similar to card fees. Eventually I think many places will just give up accepting cash. Much like they did with stopping cheque payments.

Most people don't care over the lack of control and love booping their contactless card.

Although I'd love some kind of decentralised crypto to be used as a payment and storage that's beyond the control of central banks to print theive from people. But that's another conversation

 

[Rockin' Robin]

No, no a thousand times no.
This is so wrong, we have the right to refuse to pay by card. I'd better not say anymore, or I'll go into rant mode.
Too late!
This topic infuriates me so much, I have suspected this is what has been happening since the beginning of the pandemic. Whilst the generel public were safely locked away, preperations were being made to prepare for a cashless society. And I agree that we have been sleepwalking into it.
I was on a bus a few months ago, the driver was being quite insistant that I, and other passengers pay by card. He even said that our local bus service was card only from now on. It turned out to be a lie, because none of the other bus drivers were insisting that passengers pay by card.
I feel very strongly about this (so much, that I can't be bothered to correct my spelling mistakes!)
JUST SAY NO.

 

[StephenTJackson]

I agree with all the serious points regarding the negative impact of a cashless society,.and agree with them.

On a less significant point, it would definitely make it harder chucking a fiver into the pot when it's someone's birthday I think.

And even less serious, if we go cashless, how are we gonna go to the amusements at the seaside and spend £1 playing the 2p coin push machines?

 

[Taetae95]

Also could put homeless people at a disadvantage if they only have cash to pay for certain things.

As convenient as cards/contactless is, I don't think going completely cashless is a good thing.

 

[Sarah777]

‘Conspiracy theorists’ have been trying to warn the masses about this for years. Once we lose cash it’s too easy to be spied on and be blocked from making purchases if we fall ‘out of line’. Scary times indeed.

 

[coconochanel]

Hell no I would hate a cashless society. For a start all this technology isn't safe or reliable just look what happens when banks get a glitch and everyone cant use they're cards until its fixed. Some shops are still refusing to do cashback since covid which is frankly bloody annoying 'you can use the ATM machine outside' well if I wanted to use the ATM machine I wouldn't be asking for cashback would I?

It would also mean the end of car boot sales, arcades etc.

 

[Saddlesoap]

Interesting comments. Personally I've never really thought much about it, I rarely ever have cash on me, usually just pay with my phone.

@StephenTJackson regarding 5ers for birthday pots. My colleagues mostly all BACS each other. I have so many saved transfer details on my banking app.

@Apple In My Pie I don't believe anyone could drain your bank account if they found your phone. Unless they also found your thumb?

I sound like a complete enabler

Overall I don't think we will lose loose change, but we maybe loose the notes.

 

[Melian]

I've had it where my card has been declined because of a problem their end. If I can't pay by cash, how do I pay?

 

[Kim Mild]

I would hate a cashless society. If they did do away with cash , I think bartering would be more common.

Children use cash ( pocket money etc) what about them?

I've had it where my card has been declined because of a problem their end. If I can't pay by cash, how do I pay?

Yes, there are often technical issues. It wouldn't be efficient enough.

 

[Dot_Cotton]

I never use cash if I can help it. I always find it a massive inconvenience if I have to get cash out for any reason.

 

[Yel]

I do think some people are a bit hyperbolic about the problems banks sometimes have. It's very rare and then you'd just need a credit card or 2nd free bank account.

Does anyone else remember just how many fake £1 there was before the new one? It was something like 1/30 iirc.

There's payment cards for children that lots get their pocket money added to, go Henry and all that.

 

[NeverEnough]

I remember on the 1/6/2018 visa went down for a day, just 24 hours. I will never forget that day it’s etched on my memory, because I work in financial services and we just call it Hell. People phoning in tears, screaming at us, threatening us, “children can’t eat”, “my cars broke down”,”I’m stranded overseas”, Help me, help ME, HELP ME”.

24 hours. Just saying.

You want to pay by electronic means that’s cool, your choice. But surely every system needs a backup that doesn’t rely on machines?

 

[kazizzle]

I don't think we would go completely cashless, but it's clear there's a move to more electronic based payments. It doesn't bother me, I rarely carry cash and have a few different cards/accounts for different things so if there was an issue with one I would always have a back up option. This year we've been using "paypal money pools" for work related things where everyone contributes a fiver etc for someones birthday or a leaving gift and personally I've found it easier than having to walk ages from my work just to get to a cash machine and then need to break a tenner for change etc. so I hope it stays even when we move back to the office.

 

[Yel]

I remember on the 1/6/2018 visa went down for a day, just 24 hours. I will never forget that day it’s etched on my memory, because I work in financial services and we just call it Hell.

Doesn't that show that for most people as far as they're concerned we're already in a cashless society?

I bet virtually all those people that complained about the visa downtime don't now carry cash and quickly forgot about it all.

For most things these days there isn't an alternative for when the tech fails. I remember Google docs being down for a morning or cloudflare being down for an hour and most of the internet didn't work.

It's not realistic to have a non electric system for things. What is viable is having better backup systems for when things fail.

 

[Kim Mild]

I do think some people are a bit hyperbolic about the problems banks sometimes have. It's very rare and then you'd just need a credit card or 2nd free bank account.

Does anyone else remember just how many fake £1 there was before the new one? It was something like 1/30 iirc.

There's payment cards for children that lots get their pocket money added to, go Henry and all that.

Children can get pocket money electronically but if they call in at a shop for sweets after school, they pay cash.

Having worked in retail, there were little blips with card payments most days. Sometimes it was the banks themselves but often it was our phone lines/ WiFi these days having a temporary blip.
Often customers had problems with declined cards / issues with their account they were unaware of ( that we obviously got blamed for).

In these cases , it is easier to use cash

 

[AllSeeingEye123]

Children use cash ( pocket money etc) what about them?

You have online banks like these where for pocket money, birthday money from family, cash from jobs around the house etc it gets put on a card your child can use in shops so they don't risk getting robbed if carrying cash.......

Starling Kite: The debit card for kids - Starling Bank

Kite is a debit card for kids that lets you load pocket money, track spending and encourage saving. Kids also get access to their own Starling banking app.

www.starlingbank.com

This is a scary thought......

Just 7% of UK shop payments predicted to be in cash by 2024 – report

Worldpay finds cash purchases fell to 13% last year as pandemic hastens switch to cards and mobiles

www.theguardian.com

If you're paying hundreds for an holiday use your card. If you're buying a new sofa or car etc big cash item I am all for using a card. My issue is being expected to pay for cash for transactions like don't even cost a fiver like buying a pint, newspaper, lunch at work or a few essentials like tea/coffee/milk.