To think that we are being forced into a cashless society?

[rockingthelook]

My parents really don't like to use debit cards, especially the contactless ones, however , due to C19 this seems to be the way forward? They like to take their money from the bank and use the cash rather than cards, really don't want to bank or pay for anything online because they don't trust it, but everything seems to be geared towards contactless. They had a walk today and wanted to buy a cup of tea from a takeaway cafe and couldn't, not only because the place wouldn't take cash, but the cards had to be contactless, and their cards aren't (they asked not to have this feature as frightened of them being stolen and used) It seems to be that the banks etc are using the C19 situation to force things through, my mum was even told by the cashier in the bank the other day to use the cash machine in the bank rather than get the cash over the counter because of the 'risks', fgs it's THEIR money, can't believe Age Concern/UK aren't all over this!

Yes agree OP and it’s something that really concerns me. Of course it’s convenient in lots of ways to use cashless but the wider implications are really deeply worrying. Germany is resistant to cashless as they value privacy and freedom from interference by the state.

Cash is so dirty I wouldn't bother personally right now but people should have the choice and shops should be factoring that into their safety measures for the elderly or those who like to use cash

@LovingLen

The banks software isn't really good enough to go totally cashless just look at when TSB went down and people couldn't use their cards for days on end, anyone not using cash needs to have at least two accounts at completely different banks as a minimum.

This is sensible surely? Easy to move cash across to the other account. I also have a pre paid card for personal bits and bobs. Really easy to budget with those.

I went out to the local retail park yesterday and I could not use cash anywhere. I like to use cash for food shopping but imagine that option is phasing out.

My cards are not contactless as I had two lots of £20 taken from my contactless card in Starbucks. To the managers credit I got my money back.
I have never been refused a sale due to it.

@Leafyhouse That's reassuring - unless it was a sneaky move so that the government appears to be on our side for now. I wouldn't put it past them to later change their minds with "actually, the bankers have persuaded us". They didn't want lockdown or masks either, yet we ended up with lockdown, and might yet end up with mandatory masks.

Remember not so long ago when the trendy slogan was "essential trips only", with the subtext "essential purchases only", with the self-appointed Stasi trying to stop people buying Easter eggs, or shaming people for going to the newsagent every day for a newspaper and nothing else?

With a truly cashless society, such things might actually be enforceable. Small purchases every day? Mr B. Johnson of 666 Station Road is toddling to the shops more often than allowed. Quick: send an alert to the volunteers who have signed up to be enforcers (similar to the app for recruiting people to help the NHS).

Just saying.

I know, I’m the same. I check for crop circles in my back garden every morning. You just never know....
www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2020/07/templar-crop-circle-appears-in-french-field.html
Your place?

Did none of you watch/read the handmaids tale?
Nope, not my type of show
I haven't seen any of the so called must see shows.

Agree that there are risks in a totally cashless society but I would quite like it. It’s quicker, more convenient and easier to keep track of cashless transactions. I don’t like handling cash at work and I hate doing the banking and taking cash.

I think the pandemic ought to give people (who can manage it) a big push to adopt things like contactless, online banking, etc. In the vast majority of cases there’s no reason why they shouldn’t use these things.

I can’t believe there are people who take cash out over the counter instead of using an ATM! That’s really crazy.

@Stefoscope

Have you ever been on the receiving end of an HMRC investigation? *@Thunderpunt* they're the worst aren't they? We had an 18 month long one which finally which concluded at the start of this year. It nearly broke my DP despite the fact he'd done nothing wrong. We simply worked extremely hard to increase business turnover in a short amount of time. Then the lockdown happened and we had a six figure sum theft fom a burglary to our shop in May which we're still awaiting hearing from our insurance about. Earlier, we were discussing how there's nothing left for hardworking small business owners in this country.

I'm so sorry, we haven't but close friends have and I know it destroyed them. Hope your husband and business make a good healthy recovery

There are risks to a cashless society, but there are also risks to cash which actually are maybe most relevant to the elderly people frightened of contactless. Someone who takes all their money out in cash - especially if they're doing it in a regular, set routine - is vulnerable to being robbed and, unlike a card, if cash is stolen that's it, it's gone. Scammers also like cash for a reason, and also not being familiar with legitimate online banking is part of how elderly people get fooled by those scams that get them to buy things like iTunes gift cards without realising how suspicious and unlikely this is. With a card there are at least checks and balances on how much you can lose and methods of recourse if you are the victim of crime. Someone who keeps all their money in cash has none of that.

I can’t believe there are people who take cash out over the counter instead of using an ATM! That’s really crazy.

Lots of small towns and villages don't have ATM's - they only have the post office so if you want cash, that's the only way you can get it. Our town has two ATM's but one charges you. We also have no bank for 20 miles so if the ATM is down you're pretty fucked.

There is supposed to be less fraud with contact less. That is one plus.

@Crosswithlifeatm

You can't get your cashless details on your mobile phone at weekends,some pending standing orders and DDs don't show up either.

Yes you can. It just depends on the bank.

NatWest show everything immediately and you can see your balance as it "stands", and what it actually will be once the pending transactions have come out.

I can’t believe there are people who take cash out over the counter instead of using an ATM! That’s really crazy.

Well, I can't believe that people go running around trying to find an ATM when you can just get up to £50 cashback when you buy shopping and also less risk of being scammed.

There's been plenty in the press recently about the number of ATM's being reduced - many small villages no longer have an ATM, and there is talk of charging for cash withdrawals via an ATM.

We've been using cards during pandemic but prefer cash for day to day expenses - stops us overspending . Reconciling bank statements with loads of small value spends is a total PITA.

And it really isn't tin-foil hat territory to think that your spending will be monitored for various statistical reasons if all your outgoings are via card.

I think I'd just like the option to be able to pay for stuff in cash if I wanted to.

The argument that cards can be cancelled in minutes if they're stolen is not correct - contactless cards have been used for weeks after being stolen. The amount (£) of fraud perpetuated via cards/electronic banking etc is HUGE. The banks will usually refund defrauded money if you can prove you handled cards and accounts securely, but this is running to 100s of millions of £ every year.

www.statista.com/statistics/286231/united-kingdom-uk-value-of-fraud-losses-on-uk-issued-cards/

Didnt vote as I can see how cashless can cause issues for older generation, BUT, as a business I would love cashless.

Due to my line of business we end up with a lot of cash, its equally split between cash and card still. It not only costs more to bank but local banks are closing, Im travelling further and it costs me more in ravel and parking to bank it or th pay for someone to pick it up and were only insured to keep so much on site. So its a huge pain in the arse.

We have people who go to the bank to draw money out to pay for a repair for us to take said money and deposit it in our account in the same bank only the next day, its a complete waste of effort on both parts when using the card machine or bacs could have saved both of us the trip and saved money!!!

Cash is very expensive and time consuming to deal with so whilst I do feel for the older generation it does need to change, people do have to change and evolve with the times or you get left behind and become more isolated.

I can say this as a person who has also had to change in ways I didnt want to to keep up with the times and it didnt kill me. I did see the benefit and eventually came round change doesnt kill anyone but fighting it can really hold you back.

Reconciling bank statements with loads of small value spends is a total PITA.

Just get a different card from a different bank for small transactions. We've all opened monzo accounts - ver simple to open , all done on their website. No need to "reconcile" anything as it's all doe on your mobile phone - you get a message pinged to you immediately every tie to spend on it, so it's "live" which also means if it's lost and used, you know straight away and can cancel it immediately.

As well as changing cash versus card habits, I think people all need to explore changing banks or setting up extra accounts with different banks if their bank is slow to update online systems with recent transactions or is unreliable. Far too much inertia.

I used to cash up for a garage and dealership. Cash is a real nuisance and costs more to be banked than cards.
It also needs to be paid into the bank, which is not easy when no bank nearby
Insurance companies impose limits on how much is on site and if more than a certain amount how many accompany the cash to the bank
Contactless cards have ptotection in that if unusual payments stsrt going through or every so often it asks for a pin. Its unlikely to use a lot of money on contactless

I still use cash a lot. It's very handy for budgeting when you're on a tight budget.

In the early days of lockdown, the supermarkets were all "use a card if you can". I continued to use cash, and honestly, no-one blinked at it.

I feel like a lot of companies would prefer to go cash-less, but while cash is still legal tender, they can't refuse it. I think we're still a long way from a cash-less society, and while I think it will eventually happen, I don't think it'll be during our lifetimes.

I feel like a lot of companies would prefer to go cash-less, but while cash is still legal tender, they can't refuse it.

@zingally Of course they can refuse it. Cash being legal tender doesn’t mean businesses have to take it.

Any company is perfectly allowed to be card only if they want to be.

I've had to use cash in two shops, to charge my electric key, and in a shop that refuses cards for purchases under £5. I will be going back to using cash as much as possible once we're fairly safe from covid-19.

my dm also wants to be able to spend her cash, she does not have a contactless card, doesnt trust them,
i asked her why and she said she doesnt want her bank statement to be full of small amounts.

Using cash is recommended for people who struggle with finances - there's nothing like handing over real money to make you question whether you really want the ting you are purchasing. Particularly useful when teaching children and teens the value of money. Doing it on a card doesn't feel the same.

Also cashless is great until your bank has a system failure and you find you cannot access any of your money until it's fixed. It's always good to have some real money in the house.

Cash is useful if you are planning to leave your abusive husband. Easier to hide it and save it up. Payments can’t be traced.