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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Starbucks don't take cash

541 replies

CoastalWave · 02/11/2022 09:48

AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

Took DS yesterday for a treat after school with his birthday money. We only spent £8 but as he handed over his £10 we were told, sorry we don't take cash anymore, card payments only.

Is this just the start of the slippery slope down to a cashless society ?

Really annoyed me!

OP posts:
reigatecastle · 05/11/2022 21:37

Conkersareback · 04/11/2022 18:32

And I won't be alone in using ones that don't have people faffing about rooting in their purses for the right change.

You'll just have people faffing about trying to get their phones/smartwatches to work or cards to work or forgetting their PINs instead.

XenoBitch · 05/11/2022 21:40

I walked through town earlier and saw several street homeless people and buskers... both of which that rely on cash only. The café I went to welcomes cash as those very same homeless people frequent there to buy drinks and food.
A cashless society worries me. I can not find a long right now, but I am pretty sure people on the equivalent of JSA in Australia are paid in vouchers only and not cash.. to ensure they spend their money on "the right things".
This could happen here, so very easily.

XenoBitch · 05/11/2022 21:40

Link, not long

reigatecastle · 05/11/2022 21:40

bruffin · 05/11/2022 19:27

you dont need pin numbers under certain limits. would have thought using a card would be easier than handling cash

You do need a PIN - it's random. It used to be every five transactions (I think) but now it can be every transaction or none. I tend to deliberately choose to put my PIN in on the bigger transactions so it won't ask me when I spend £1.50, but there are no guarantees.

And it's awkward with something like contactless travel on TFL as you can't put your PIN in on the ticket barrier.

Tomikka · 06/11/2022 22:37

reigatecastle · 05/11/2022 16:50

I disagree - financial services companies can get on the latest bandwagon and freeze the accounts of people whose views they don't like. See this about www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/paypal-reinstates-free-speech-union-accounts-after-being-accused-of-e2-80-98politically-motivated-e2-80-99-ban/ar-AA12jPbHpaypal

Would you want your accounts frozen because you tweeted that you supported JKR for example? Or because you didn't?

PayPals fine/charge/account freeze applies to business accounts and those that raise funds promoting misinformation

This does not affect ordinary users.

Arayes · 06/11/2022 22:44

AMorningstar · 02/11/2022 10:08

Neither do I. I think they're banking on very few people caring about it. I really think we all need to vote with our feet but also maybe contact these companies and make sure they know why we aren't using them

Very few of us do care about it. You vote with your feet and email the CEO, nobody will care.

Cash is insecure, expensive, and annoying. Hardly anyone pays with cash. You can grumble and moan all you like, but it's only going one direction and its not back to cash....

bigfamilygrowingupfast · 07/11/2022 09:42

We spoke to the owners and they said it was theft - not only staff, but also people reaching behind the bar when the till was open and grabbing cash. My cousin ran a bar for years and he had the same thing, but I'd reckon in this climate it will be a lot worse these days

thehorsehasnowbolted · 07/11/2022 13:33

YANBU OP

It's important to try and pay cash whenever possible and educate the younger generations about the freedom the use of cash entails.

Because of a false sense of 'convenience', we are sleepwalking into a world we don't understand and where nobody would want to live in

antelopevalley · 07/11/2022 13:35

bigfamilygrowingupfast · 07/11/2022 09:42

We spoke to the owners and they said it was theft - not only staff, but also people reaching behind the bar when the till was open and grabbing cash. My cousin ran a bar for years and he had the same thing, but I'd reckon in this climate it will be a lot worse these days

They had a bad set up. It should not be physically possible for customers to do that.

thehorsehasnowbolted · 07/11/2022 13:37

They had a bad set up. It should not be physically possible for customers to do that.

This. They are blaming cash when they are causing these issues themselves through poor management

tempchgename · 07/11/2022 13:59

thehorsehasnowbolted · 07/11/2022 13:37

They had a bad set up. It should not be physically possible for customers to do that.

This. They are blaming cash when they are causing these issues themselves through poor management

And this.

I've already posted on the thread but feel would be identifying if I didn't name change.

We never had customers able to reach in and grab money from the till. It's never happened.

However we have had money go missing from the till (rare) over the years, and that was a staff member. We've also had attempted, and one actual, break ins, but that's not just cash related but stock and electrical.

Card payments are probably less hassle but a few customers, especially the elderly, prefer cash, and it's worth continuing to offer it as an option to those who need it or who might just want to pay cash that day.

TheHouseElf · 07/11/2022 22:16

Not everyone is as perfect as you. 🙄

BertieQueen · 08/11/2022 13:56

Just saw on social media that Disneyland Paris’ systems are down again and they are only accepting cash on site. This has been happening a lot recently with them.

Cash is still very much needed now and in the future.

tempchgename · 08/11/2022 14:03

TheHouseElf · 07/11/2022 22:16

Not everyone is as perfect as you. 🙄

Wrong thread?

antelopevalley · 08/11/2022 14:05

With electricity blackouts cash will be needed more, not less.

Kazzyhoward · 08/11/2022 14:17

antelopevalley · 08/11/2022 14:05

With electricity blackouts cash will be needed more, not less.

Good luck trying to buy a coffee in a blackout!

How do you think they're going to light/heat the cafe, or operate the coffee machine.

How you pay is irrelevant as the shops/cafes will mostly be shut!

antelopevalley · 08/11/2022 14:22

I have said before. In a local blackout in my area the corner shop and pub remained open. It is very easy to use manual systems for cash.
Restaurants will close although I wonder if our local Thai that mainly uses large gas cookers will remain open? But pubs are one of the easiest to keep open.

sethsgoat · 08/11/2022 14:40

"Good luck trying to buy a coffee in a blackout!
How do you think they're going to light/heat the cafe, or operate the coffee machine.
How you pay is irrelevant as the shops/cafes will mostly be shut!"

Rural location here. Well our business is in one. Blackouts not common but not unexpected in harsh weather conditions either.

A few people here have backup generators. We have one in our pub. In the last blackout we gave away hot drinks to locals. Some shops open here regardless. Cash is here to stay.

antelopevalley · 08/11/2022 14:42

The corner shop had queues out the door during the local blackout as the chains all shut.
It is funny how some people do not realise it is possible to do things without electricity.

reigatecastle · 08/11/2022 14:56

PayPals fine/charge/account freeze applies to business accounts and those that raise funds promoting misinformation This does not affect ordinary users

That isn't my understanding. Financial institutions already do it for no apparent reason - sometimes simply because someone isn't profitable enough - there doesn't have to be anything malicious going on.

Kazzyhoward · 08/11/2022 15:08

antelopevalley · 08/11/2022 14:42

The corner shop had queues out the door during the local blackout as the chains all shut.
It is funny how some people do not realise it is possible to do things without electricity.

Depends on the business doesn't it?

Some won't be allowed to open as they won't be insured if no power for heating, lighting and security systems. Workplaces aren't safe for staff if there's no power for lighting potentially dark/gloomy storerooms, back rooms, toilets/kitchens, etc. Likewise if no heating, the workplace may be too cold for staff to legally be required to work.

Of course, some smaller businesses can open based on natural light if they have lots of windows.

Likewise if they have their own generators they can open.

We did indeed have a local shop which opened during Storm Desmond, but soon had to close as they sold out of the stock they could sell (they couldn't sell fresh/frozen stock as the fridges/freezers were down so the stock melted or warmed too much, hence unsafe to sell).

Owner-managed small shops will be better placed to stay open temporarily as they're more likely to be able to rely on memory for prices and able to work out sums of shopping and change without need of a till system - staff are less likely to be able to work without electronic POS tills etc. Workplace H&S legislation is less of a problem if it's the business owner working in the shop without power, rather than employees where it may be against employment law for them to be expected to work in what are almost certainly unsafe conditions.

But back to the point of this thread i.e. Starbucks, I think it's highly unlikely that a chain like Starbucks would open in a blackout due to the insurance, power, heating, security and staffing problems.

user1497207191 · 08/11/2022 15:17

@antelopevalley

The corner shop had queues out the door during the local blackout as the chains all shut.

Well there you have it - ALL the chains were shut as you say yourself! Small owner-managed businesses are completely different, and of course, there are fewer of them, so their remaining stocks wouldn't last long if all the chains are shut! A couple of years ago, our village suffered an outage when our substation blew up - our village pie ship/bakery stayed open, but ran out of stock within a couple of hours as all the customers who'd normally get their bread/milk etc from the Spar shop (which closed immediately) went to the bakery instead and bought all it's stock! For the afternoon of day 1 and the second day, the pie/bakery shop couldn't open as they didn't have enough to sell to make it worthwile opening.

We had a family newsagents back in the 70s and I remember serving customers by torchlight and candle light. Times were different then. I particularly remember that we sold fireworks, not just boxes but also individual ones which we kept loose in boxes. Looking back, it was pretty dangerous and stupid, but during the power cuts, we'd sell fireworks by candle-light! Luckily, the almost inevitable didn't happen, and I presume we thought it was safe at the time! But I also remember we had several customers who tripped over things and walked into things due to poor lighting. If that happened today, I'm pretty sure we'd have "no win no fee" injury lawyers suing us!

sethsgoat · 08/11/2022 15:20

But back to the point of this thread i.e. Starbucks, I think it's highly unlikely that a chain like Starbucks would open in a blackout due to the insurance, power, heating, security and staffing problems.

You're the person who 'deviated from topic' by mentioning cafes and shops generally.

In rural locations particularly, where blackouts are not unexpected in harsh weather conditions, there is prep and backup, and cash is extremely useful.

antelopevalley · 08/11/2022 15:22

Honestly problems, problems.
Chains close because staff rightly have no interest in solving the issues.
But the local pub stayed open.

I also see in the City I lived in until the summer there are events planned of an orchestra by candlelight. Somehow they are managing to do that.

Nobody is saying everything will be as norma;l. But independent pubs will I am sure be open during blackouts. Especially if they are planned. It is easy to have alternative low lighting and not expensive to buy, and to record purchases manually. They can even have a calculator if staff need it.

Fattoushi · 08/11/2022 15:55

sethsgoat · 08/11/2022 15:20

But back to the point of this thread i.e. Starbucks, I think it's highly unlikely that a chain like Starbucks would open in a blackout due to the insurance, power, heating, security and staffing problems.

You're the person who 'deviated from topic' by mentioning cafes and shops generally.

In rural locations particularly, where blackouts are not unexpected in harsh weather conditions, there is prep and backup, and cash is extremely useful.

I'm pretty sure rural coffee shops, like Starbucks, won't be open in blackouts. Not least because you can't make coffee without power.

Where would cash be useful in a blackout, exactly?