Sainsburys checkout lady said that “lots of people are switching back to cash just now”

[Harpings]

I know it’s just one checkout person. But is this something others have noticed/ are doing? Just wondering if so and why it would be ?

Does anyone use CashBack anymore? That I guess was a method to try and reduce the amount of onsite cash, given that they take cash payments too.

Tipping - I used to tip delivery drivers, IKEA, Amazon etc,
but found they would look at the £2 coin in their palm in bafflement.
One said thanks it would go in his little boy’s moneybox.

Not doubting you, but I don't get people who react like that. Fair enough if somebody personally doesn't like or generally use cash, but it's a bit of a stretch to actually make out like you don't understand what cash is! Especially if you're bringing up your child to learn about it.

I think it's worth having the conversation. I discovered at my local Matalan that the staff have had multiple meetings with head office because people don't like the machines, and Head aoffice after saying they're here to stay. However the fact these meetings are taking place means there's enough push back for them to be necessary.

I usually only use my debit card for bigger planned purchases, cash is easier to budget with. In addition, anyone who saw the documentary a few years back on 'big banking' part of the same series as 'big Pharma', will probably be doing the same. I like that the bank doesn't know EVERYTHING I do with my money. Probably deluding myself, but that's how I feel. For me, it's like rebel yell. I want to keep cash in society.

You'll still do most if yhose tasks with cash. Cash takes time to manage, it increases your risk and is far from costless but if you don't value your time highly you might think it's worth it.

Modernise does not care about older or disabled people. Look at compensation on here of people saying they just need to learn how to do this stuff, without understanding the limitations.
Try doing online banking with arthritis in your hands and a slight stroke affecting your speech. Or doing online banking with brain fog from cancer.
Lots of elderly people are on their own and have no one to help them..

Try doing online banking with arthritis in your hands and a slight stroke affecting your speech. Or doing online banking with brain fog from cancer.

Even if you can attempt doing things like that online, they often start a clock ticking and time you out if you take 'too long' to complete it. Buying tickets is another one like that.

The time allowed is designed wholly around a young, healthy, able-bodied person getting on with it smartish - so if you have poor eyesight, arthritis, chronic pain, other health or mobility issues, even just if using the internet is not second-nature to you - you'll be excluded by design. Even when inputting details such as debit card numbers, it will patronisingly tell you that you've made a mistake (not always stated that politely), if you're unable to read, check and bash all the numbers into the box within 2 seconds.

I sometimes wonder if the people who design things like this have/ever had grandparents or have ever observed the existence of disabled people.

You'll still do most if yhose tasks with cash. Cash takes time to manage, it increases your risk and is far from costless but if you don't value your time highly you might think it's worth it.

Well, plenty of people who run small businesses do specify cash only or cash preferred, so clearly they either know what works best for them and their business or they're all simply too stupid to understand the value of time.

But there have always been people who have struggled with things as they have changed. My Grandad has been dead 30 years and I remember him struggling when it came to bank cards and PIN numbers.

people finding the changes hard isn’t a reason not to move forwards, yes we need to be aware and help people, yes we should keep options open as much as possible for those who don’t want to change or who can’t but thats not a reason to not change.

for many others with disabilities or who are older the access to things online and the ease of paying by contactless will make life a lot easier. It does work both ways.

@FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper I do some website stuff, and annoyingly there's lots of gotchas outside of your control. There's a system I am working on now, and the server kicks people out on the hour, each hour, and that can be a pain if you sign in shortly before the hour. I find it frustrating. I try and advocate for others. There's stock control systems, that place items in your basket with limited time reservation. As a user, I find that annoying. I like to put stuff in a basket and walk away then come back later and continue. Different systems, different rules. And lots of hair pulling for even your average user.

But digital and cash have both been valid options for years now, so the change would be to discontinue the cash option.

Debit card transactions are not waiting on the abolition of cash to proceed, there is every reason to not 'move forward' when it takes away something that's important to a lot of people.

I don’t think anything needs to change from the way things are now. Those who want to use cards can, those who want to use cash can. It does frustrate me if a business is cash only, because I tend to only carry a small amount in case of emergencies, but no big deal as I’d just go elsewhere. I assume other people are equally as frustrated by card only business. Choice is key.
I would like there to be a way to prevent tax avoidance and money laundering through the use of cash, but that’s pie in the sky I guess.

Local tax officers used to be pretty good re tax avoidance etc. When I started as an accountant in the 80s, all small businesses/self employed could realistically expect a tax officer to inspect their "books" every few years. Local tax inspectors used local knowledge to check tax registrations etc - i.e. if they saw a new shop opening or a new traders van they'd not seen before, they'd make a note and at some future date would try to trace the tax returns to check they'd registered, were submitting returns, paying tax etc. Some inspectors would sit in pubs making tallies of coins being put in vending/gaming machines, noting numbers of people etc., and sitting on the information until they went back months year to inspect the books. A local inspector caught out a care home by noting details from the local paper death notices to cross check the records of declared numbers staying in the care home. All that went when Brown closed down local tax offices and made experienced local tax inspectors redundant!

I was talking about myself. I’m disabled. I have and use a debit card. But I need cash when sending a carer to pay for something - I’m not giving them my card.

Get another bank account and card and limit how much money you transfer onto it. That's just the same as giving the carer cash. They can't spend more than is on the card, just as they can't spend more than the cash you give them.

That's not easier and is against the card issuers rules plus it puts any carer in a vulnerable position because they are using someone else's debit card.
Why should this person jump through hoops plus break rules to facilitate other peoples cashless dream.

I've noticed this too. There is a huge bring back cash campaign on FB, I can understand why, I don't like the fac that the Gov/Shops can monitor everything I spend, for their own personal gain.

I definitely always use cash in small independent shops/cafes's as they cant afford the card processing fees & I like to spend my money in small independents, rather than in big chain stores.

As others have said you definitely spend more carefully with cash, Its so easy to just go tap, tap when your out & about & before you realise it you've blown £20/£30.

My DD is 14 and we will still give her pocket money in cash.

I'm probably very old skool, but I also don't want to have a banking app on my phone, in case it got lost/stolen etc.. I've heard too many negative stories.

If we don't continue to use cash, then it will be phased out

for many others with disabilities or who are older the access to things online and the ease of paying by contactless will make life a lot easier. It does work both ways.

People who find it easier to access things online can do so without removing access to cash for those who prefer it or who can’t manage virtual transactions. There’s no reason to stop people using cash.

I try to use cash as it helps me appreciate it more. If I'm just using my card, I'll hand it over way too much.

Like I said, the paranoia about losing cash is ridiculous, because the feared consequences would only arise in a society where the government could already completely ruin you in an instant anyway

Your argument is nonsensical. Tyrannical societies don’t arrive overnight. They are usually decades in the making and they emerge gradually as the conditions emerge - one of which could easily be total control over whether or not citizens are able to spend money, and being able to fully prohibit/monitor what goods or services they are able to purchase.

The bad guys don’t arrive wearing bad guy T-shirts. It’s a slow decrease in freedom and privacy over many years and it takes ages (if ever, if you look at how successful thought control can be in places like North Korea or even China) before people even realise they’re trapped.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX ^

@Spoldge45

I definitely always use cash in small independent shops/cafes's as they cant afford the card processing fees

Do you actually ask the owners what they prefer or do you just inflict your opinions on them?

people finding the changes hard isn’t a reason not to move forwards, yes we need to be aware and help people, yes we should keep options open as much as possible for those who don’t want to change or who can’t but thats not a reason to not change.

But, as you say, it's all about the options. Old folk really don't object at all to the existence of things that younger people enjoy/find useful, but they just want their own needs and preferences to be accommodated as well.

Massive sea-changes tend to happen slowly and organically in that, without wanting to be too blunt, younger people embrace them and keep up with them throughout their lives and then, eventually, the generations of older people who never did get on with the changes die off. However, that isn't a tap-your-watch-impatiently process: whilst they are still alive, their needs and comforts are every bit as important as anybody else's.

Do you actually ask the owners what they prefer or do you just inflict your opinions on them?

I do: I ask if they prefer cash, prefer cards or don't have a preference either way.

It is a disability issue.
But lots of people don't give a shot about disabled people so don't care if services do not meet their needs.