Can shops refuse cash and insist on card payments only?

[AlternativelyWired]

A local deli moved to card only during lockdown and has continued to do so. There's a sign up saying card only and I wonder if there's a move towards a cashless society now. I get paid in cash and a take away drink and maybe a cake would be a weekly thing at most and I'd have cash on me but not necessarily any money in the bank. It's a first world problem I know but are shops allowed to say no to cash?

My 6 year old also has a GoHenry card

What decade was that? Not getting a card until the age of 22 nowadays would be very strange. I got my first card when I was 11 with my Halifax children’s current account account.

Around here post offices are disappearing as well. Highlights a reason for not accepting cash, shops end up keeping money on the premises where they didn't before. Even the number of cash dispensers seem to be going down.

This thread has annoyed me. People talking about bank cards for 12 year olds and accusing OP of poor parenting. Yes my DS could get one when he's 12 through his current account but I worry about it being lost or stolen especially if he needs to take it to school everyday (massive school of 2,000 children). the pre-paid cards actually cost quite a lot of money to get (Go Henry) etc. For some families the cost is going to be prohibitive. I see older people struggling with cards all the time and the loss of cash is most likely to impact certain groups negatively. We should be concerned about this as a society

It's not poor parenting at all. Not every child has a bank account, mobile phone etc.

I hate using cards as well. It's another tracking device on where, when and how we spend our money,

Children’s bank accounts are free. You don’t need a mobile phone to get one. And if they lose their card/it gets stolen, you just call the bank to block it same as if you lose yours - safer than cash in that respect.

Oh God. Spare me. Now we're into tinfoil hat territory.

You are spared Bob.

I'd boycott anywhere which didn't take cash.

They should make a law requiring businesses to accept cash.

No tinfoil hats here.

Mumsnet on Covid and masks "we need to protect the vulnerable"
Mumsnet when it comes to the vulnerable being affected by card only "Fuck "em"

Completely agree.

Dont all 12 year olds have a debit card? Pretty poor parenting to not have a bank account set up for them

No, they don't. We don't all have oodles of cash to be saving or money to put in a current account for children to be spending. A few pounds in cash here and there is about all I can manage. There's a lot of shite parenting out there. I can't get excited about 12 year olds who don't have debit cards or bank accounts.

I think any small buisness (or larger one for that matter) refusing to accept any form of legitimate payment in the current climate is bonkers. Things are going to get a lot worse. Fact of the matter is, you're not going to be choosing fancy ice cream, lattes and charcuterie when you're struggling to keep your house warm this winter. And when you're ready to have a treat, you're not going to go to the business that didn't accept your method of payment the last time you tried to spend your money with them - you'll go next door or across the road. The small business that are going to survive the next couple of years need to be doing everything to bring people in, no matter how small an amount they may spend or how they pay. It's the buisness that needs to manage the inconvenience, not the customer - because the customer has choice and will spend their money somewhere that not only accepts their money, but welcomes it. Absolute bell ends to think of it in any other way.

Look into HyperJar for the pre paid debit card for children. It's free. Unlike Go Henry

Yes but you often need photo ID (some banks may accept a birth certificate). Most kids will have a passport but lots don't. And the age group we're talking about for scout trips etc won't have a driving licence yet.

I’m not aware of any bank that does not accept a U.K. birth certificate as ID for a children’s account.

There are a few types of cards for kids that aren't linked to a bank account but you can top it up. Rooster and Go Henry spring to mind.

I'm not in the UK but my bank has an option for you to get a card for your kids and you can just instantly transfer money from account to theirs.
All of my kids friends have had their own cards since they were about 11. They just keep them in their phone covers so they don't lose them. It's not a big deal if they do anyway because I can instantly disable it from my account.

Mine hasn't got any money as they don't do any jobs to earn pocket money. Not sure how that's going to pan out! :)
Will have to sort something for senior school I suspect.

I did this and called it... Receiptnspam@hotmail. Com

😂

Yes, they can refuse. The firm I work for stopped taking cash on their trade counter altogether at the start of lockdown, and it has been so much less faff having no cash around that they have continued to accept card payments only.

They can refuse whatever they wish but turning paying customers away isn't really good business sense!!

@lovesweetlovesweet

From 11 children can have a bank account in their own name with a card. We set it up before term began that September, yes it's parents responsibility to teach children about money including bank accounts

DS is 12 and doesn't yet have a debit card. He's not really started going out by himself where he needs it (he goes to school, sports club and friends houses by himself just not anywhere he would need a card) but he has an account so I need to set it up for him.
DH is self employed and some customers pay by cheque which is a complete pain if the amount exceeds the limit you can pay via the app.