To wonder why so many people don't carry any cash on them?

[InHibernationTilISummer]

Excluding people who are skint and the Queen, obviously.

I've had so many examples of this in the last few weeks:

• Colleague who came into the work in the bad weather. Lots of delays and problems on the bus route they normally get so wanted to get the train instead but had no money for a ticket because they had come in with their season bus pass and lunch and hadn't expected to be spending any money.
• Friend turning up for exercise class but hasn't realised that the price has gone up 50p since she last came - and she only brought the exact money she thought she would need.
• Another friend dropping older child off at sport class finds that there's a fair going on at the sports centre with stalls and activities that her younger child (who was with her) would have enjoyed. Complains that she wishes she had known about it in advance as she would have taken some money out with her.

Is this becoming more common or is it just the people I know? If you aren't skint but don't routinely carry money on you, why is that?

I've been in situations where I haven't expected to be spending any (or much) money and some problem has occurred or plans have changed for some reason (e.g. having to accompany someone to A & E or the last bus not turning up) and I would have been really stuck if I hadn't taken some spare 'emergency' cash.

I have no strong feelings on whether or not other people carry cash, and no desire to persuade people not to. I'm not quite sure why some people on this thread are determined that carrying it makes them morally superior, though

Probably in response to those insisting that anyone who can see a reason for carrying cash are stuck in the dark ages unwilling to embrace modern technology, as if we are sticking to typewriters or slide rules, whereas the fact is that it is very easy to get completely stuck without cash for small shops, parking meters, festivals and many other situations.

I'm also a bit at some people's unquestioning dependency on their smartphone. I think I remember that a good few people got completely stuck after one of the recent London terror attacks, because they couldn't charge their phones, the batteries went flat, they didn't know anyone's number's because they were all in their phones and they couldn't contact their friends and relatives to let them know they were safe or arrange transport home. Always have a backup plan, people.

Okay so they have more customers so have no reduction in staff.
But that can not physically happen everywhere. In some places the customer base will stay the same and there will be a reduction in staff.

What @BarbaraofSevillle said

Basically people don't stop using a method of payment that works for them unless what replaces it is easier and better

Exactly. This, along with many of us going through many years of adulthood with most shops not accepting cards for purchases under around £5/10. Large retailers can negotiate decent terms with their banks and afford to absorb bank charges, but small shops cannot.

Those who take mostly cash, probably spend a lot of it at the cash and carry and pay themselves and their staff in cash so can deal with cash in the main without bank charges, which will be proportionally much larger for independents. Small retailers are at enough of a disadvantage compared to the chains, without effectively forcing them to accept cards or go out of business.

Okay so they have more customers so have no reduction in staff.

crunchymint Even if we’d had a decrease in the number of customers after re-opening, we would still need at least double the amount of crew we did before simply to fill those positions.

"whereas the fact is that it is very easy to get completely stuck without cash for small shops, parking meters, festivals and many other situations."

"I'm also a bit at some people's unquestioning dependency on their smartphone."

Well said @BarbaraofSevillle

I am incredulous at those who cannot fathom what it is like to live somewhere where the high street isn't a clone of every other high street, and it is full of independent shops and cafes where is just simply isn't feasible or practical to pay for a Radio Times or a coffee with a contactless payment method.

These people don't have children at school, never go to agricultural shows, church or school fundraisers, never go to the local pub or local markets, and don't live somewhere where the signal isn't always available.

I would rather live where I do and keep a tenner in my purse than live in London.

Disclaimer: I use contactless a lot, but not always.

Dh and I bith carry cash - it's probably a generational thing as we're older and there was a time before plastic. I do use my card for bigger purchases and these days dh does too - he used to use it to get cash out and then spend the cash, but since he got a contactless card he's more likely to use that.

Also if you have an iPhone they don’t like the cold, mine completely died in Iceland because of the cold and it was only about -2C and I wouldn’t have been paying for anything on it. I think it is one of the features of iPhones which isn’t very good especially regarding the recent cold weather.

These people don't have children at school, never go to agricultural shows, church or school fundraisers, never go to the local pub or local markets, and don't live somewhere where the signal isn't always available.
I live remotely, mobiles not always an option, but the card is 99% if the time, even at the local!

These people don't have children at school, never go to agricultural shows, church or school fundraisers, never go to the local pub or local markets, and don't live somewhere where the signal isn't always available.

I have children in school, go to markets and the local pubs. They all have card machines to make life easier. We can even pre-book events online.

I’m wondering where some of live? Does the bank still do half-day closing on a Wednesday?

Of course you can book online for entry to agricultural shows, festivals etc, but that doesn't extend to paying for drinks, snacks and souveniers etc though does it .

Going to an agricultural show would be a special trip though - it wouldn't be "Oh no I accidentally found myself at an agricultural show without any cash". You'd get cash out specially, even if you normally did not carry cash.

I only ever lift £10 a week. £5 for DDs dancing, £5 for slimming world. Everything else is done on card. Unless there’s somewhere out of the ordinary we’re going to, like a fair.

I don’t use contactless though, just regular chip and pin. It’s easier for me!

But the thread is asking people who don't carry cash why they don't carry cash

It's not asking those who do carry cash to justify why they prefer to use cash

I have no interest whether someone else prefers to use cash rather than card. I understand there are a multitude of reasons why someone might want or need to

But the OP asked "if you aren't skint but don't routinely carry money on you, why is that? "

I don't live rurally and don't need to use cash it I prefer not to. Others do and that's fine

If I want to go to a market where it's cash only then I'll get cash out from an atm. If I'm going out of town then I'll get cash. Easy. But for my day to day life I don't carry cash because I don't need to. Different strokes for different folks.

Credit card only for me. Cash just flies out my pocket plus I don’t have the pin for the joint account so I rather than get that I just keep everything on cards with the odd cash back here and there.

Oh and also when I return items it’s much easier once money back on account rather than in my pocket burning a hole

"I live remotely, mobiles not always an option, but the card is 99% if the time, even at the local!"

For just one drink?
Our local accepts cards, but I can imagine what our landlord would say if someone tried to pay for a pint with a contactless method. Disclaimer: it might work with London prices, but not round here.
"Of course you can book online for entry to agricultural shows, festivals etc, but that doesn't extend to paying for drinks, snacks and souvenirs etc though does it"

Exactly.

For just one drink?
Our local accepts cards, but I can imagine what our landlord would say if someone tried to pay for a pint with a contactless method. Disclaimer: it might work with London prices, but not round here.

600odd miles from London! Never tried one as always with dh so two but never an issue.

Of course you can book online for entry to agricultural shows, festivals etc, but that doesn't extend to paying for drinks, snacks and souveniers etc though does it

Most people don't go to agricultural shows and the like on a daily basis, and if they do then it is something they do as a deliberate act - you don't just wander into one by accident. There's a huge difference between "normal" day to day habits and behaviour around specific planned activities.

On a day to day basis I use contactless or AndroidPay to conduct 99% of my financial transactions and have an emergency £5 note tucked into my phone cover in case of what emergency I'm not exactly sure but I carry it anyway that is almost never needed.

However, if I was going to a festival, church fete, agricultural show or some other place where I knew for a fact (or strongly suspected) that I would not be able to use my card I would ensure that I drew enough cash out of an ATM before I went to cover any costs - entrance fees/drinks/snacks etc - because while I might be generally cashless I still have the common sense to know that there will be the odd occasion where I will need money to hand.

Our local accepts cards, but I can imagine what our landlord would say if someone tried to pay for a pint with a contactless method. Disclaimer: it might work with London prices, but not round here.

I live in the Lake District and even when visiting friends in their tiny villages most pubs take card payments (and those who don't either have a small ATM for you to draw money out of or are within a minute or two's walk from the village bank/ATM), so no it's not just "London prices" that card payments can be made for.

Our local farmers' market traders don't accept cards of any type, even for meat (and a month's meat can cost quite a bit).

Our local accepts cards, but I can imagine what our landlord would say if someone tried to pay for a pint with a contactless method. Disclaimer: it might work with London prices, but not round here.

If they aren't happy to take the payment they wouldn't.

There's no need to second guess the feelings and motivations of a business owner/employee you're worried might be upset with you for wanting to use card.

If it's economically unfeasible for them to take care for a small amount without a surcharge they won't take it. But that's not a reason not to try if that's what's most convenient for you.

Of course you can book online for entry to agricultural shows, festivals etc, but that doesn't extend to paying for drinks, snacks and souveniers etc though does it

A few PP’s have pointed out the obvious that you’d plan to take cash to a special event like this. That said it’s becoming increasingly common for Traders at these events accepting electronic payments. You can set it up on your iPhone with an app.

Sorry should have stated, food, drink and souvenirs.

"You can set it up on your iPhone with an app."

Not everyone has an iPhone

Sorry for the shouting, but I get irrationally irritated at the assumption that everyone has an iPhone.