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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think paying with cash is a faff?

101 replies

Newtrick · 12/01/2023 11:55

Are you put off by cash only businesses?
We have a local cafe that I like, and was hoping to take a group of friends to this weekend for a booked after noon tea

They've just announced that they will only be accepting cash going forward, aibu to then cancel my booking and tell them why?

I completely get the harshness of card processing fees so get when then there is a spending limit before you use cards eg. One donut= cash but it feel like if the total is more than £10 pound like their meals, can be then you should be able to use card
I rarely have any cash on me, but when I do its usually never more than 10-15 pound

The shop it's self is on a country route so its at least a few miles from the nearest cash point so its going to make it hard to pop in for things

The people that run the cafe are fairly alternative in their views so the announcement has got a lot of support in the form of "wake up, cash is king, government is tracking you via card" type responses.

Ultimately I'm probably going to cancel my booking because its a pita to tell each friend that they need to bring £25 cash each for the afternoon tea, knowing that if they forget that they will have at least a 6 mile drive to get cash out if that cash point is even open

Yabu- just use cash
Yanbu- cash is a pain

OP posts:
ClubhouseGift · 12/01/2023 13:06

YANBU. They wouldn’t be getting my business. I’m not supporting them wanting to stay in the past.

Cigarettesaftersex1 · 12/01/2023 13:07

Wonder bother me, just give your friends plenty of notice, I'm sure most of them would pass a cash machine between now and then

Cigarettesaftersex1 · 12/01/2023 13:08

*Wouldn't not wonder

Original poster
Newtrick · 12/01/2023 13:09

@ttcnumber2x

Ooh oddly it's not the same place I don't think. Mine is a TO and hasn't said anything about WiFi

WiFi issues does make more sense

Interesting theres other small cafes rural making the change

Like I say, there's lots of cash places in town but when there's a cash machine in less than a 10 min walk it doesn't seem as frustrating as when it's a drive away. Like above my hair dresser is cash only, but near a cash machine

OP posts:
hmmmintereting · 12/01/2023 13:12

barneshome · 12/01/2023 13:05

I wish I had a £1 for every imbecile who tries to pay by phone and it does not work properly
I always use cash

Imbeciles? Wow! I don't know anyone who doesn't use their phone, except older people/without smart phones.

My pet peeve is people insisting on putting their pin in when they can tap. Just tap the bloody thing!!

Sorry, back to the OP. I think £25 is too much to expect people to have in cash.

BubziOwl · 12/01/2023 13:24

I've never had to scroll through my phone to find the right app to pay 🤣 That's not how Apple Pay works anyway, I'd have assumed android pay is similar no?

Anyway OP, I'd probably not cancel and just remind your friends a few times. I'd find it annoying though, I don't carry cash anywhere these days. I can't remember the last time I went into town with anything more than my phone and my keys!

NotAnotherBathBomb · 12/01/2023 13:29

why don't you take it to this thread

MaryMcCarthy · 12/01/2023 13:30

My favourite Lebanese restaurant is cash only and it bugs me.

There have been times I've gone elsewhere, for inferior food, because I just couldn't be bothered to find a cash machine.

stopringingme · 12/01/2023 13:44

YABU

You have time to take cash out, you have time to send a message to your friends.

I think it would be unreasonable to cancel your booking, do your friends not have a say. It is now Thursday and you are going at the weekend, the cafe may have been turning other group bookings down.

I only shop in places that take cash and card as I mainly use cash.

ILoveCreamCrackersMe · 12/01/2023 13:56

It's probably a mixture of trying to avoid banking fees and tax avoidance.

Our local Chinese always magically never seems to have its card reader working on the busiest nights of the week. If the stars align and it is working, they refuse any amount above £40 and insist on cash.

For those saying that paying by phone is slow... Nope, I just hold my phone to the reader and wake my phone up. It's just as quick as paying contactless by card. There is no app to scroll to.

I'm not against cash, but electronic payment is so much easier. I'm not travelling out my way to visit an ATM.

BarbaraofSeville · 12/01/2023 14:01

Well I've seen lots of people scrolling through their phone before putting it against the card reader, so I don't know what else they could be doing.

But as far as I can see, it's not 'everyone' who pays by phone anyway, most people seem to use cards.

mozzyworries · 12/01/2023 14:05

I never ever carry cash, haven't for year and have to get some out specifically if I need it. Such a pain.

This would put me off using this business completely. I would tell them why I was cancelling but I'm a polite/neutral way. It's their choice, it just doesn't work for me.

flimsyclam · 12/01/2023 14:06

I don't use cash at all. I would have to leave a cash only business and go elsewhere. I think businesses should take both forms of tender now that card is so prevalent and better for fraud purposes too.

Setyoufree · 12/01/2023 14:08

I've recently switched to using cash as much as possible. As a PP said, it's annoying when businesses don't give you the choice either way but I actively avoid card only places now.

Anyway in answer to your question, you've got plenty of notice so no, I wouldn't cancel, just remind your friends. It's not hard to draw out £30 when eg you're next at the petrol station

RatherBeRiding · 12/01/2023 14:10

I very rarely have any cash on me and think cash only businesses are being very short-sighted. Given the choice between cash only or somewhere that takes card - the latter will always get my business. I live semi-rurally and getting to a cash machine always involves a car journey.

pishkashalante · 12/01/2023 14:14

Ultimately I'm probably going to cancel my booking because its a pita to tell each friend that they need to bring £25 cash each for the afternoon tea, knowing that if they forget that they will have at least a 6 mile drive to get cash out if that cash point is even open

Or you could ask them to transfer you £25 each and you withdraw enough cash to pay for all?

Dotjones · 12/01/2023 14:14

Cash has a place but is unnecessary for most day to day transactions. I would expect a market trader to want cash, but a business should accept card payments. I accept that small businesses might need a minimum spend or charge a small fee for card transactions but they shouldn't refuse them altogether. Even if I get a locksmith or someone like that out they always seem to take card payments these days, they just have a thing that connects via their phone.

A bricks and mortar business that says "cash only" looks a little suspicious to me - like they are trying to hide income for tax reasons, or are laundering money.

WhatNoRaisins · 12/01/2023 14:14

If it's a group booking then odds are there will be someone in the group who'll forget it's cash only. I'd cancel for that reason, not worth the hassle. Might go on my own if the food was good and it was less than £10.

melj1213 · 12/01/2023 14:21

BarbaraofSeville · 12/01/2023 14:01

Well I've seen lots of people scrolling through their phone before putting it against the card reader, so I don't know what else they could be doing.

But as far as I can see, it's not 'everyone' who pays by phone anyway, most people seem to use cards.

The only time I have to scroll on my phone is if I want to use a different card to my default one, eg I have my dad's card in my Google Pay wallet as I do shopping for my parents once a week, so if I'm doing their shopping I have to open the wallet app and scroll to his card instead of mine but it takes literally seconds, and still less time than a cash transaction.

Original poster
Newtrick · 12/01/2023 14:40

They haven't told me it's cash only by the way, its just I popped in to buy something this morning and they told me then (they have no idea that I'm the same person with a booking this weekend as its not under my name).

Like I say i would genuinely be making a 3 mile trip to the petrol station then 3 miles back simply to get cash out as there isn't a cash point between me and the cafe

OP posts:
Sartre · 12/01/2023 14:47

I use Apple Pay for everything and have done for years, I don’t even own a purse because I never have cash. Just take my phone everywhere and if somewhere doesn’t accept Apple Pay (few and far between), they lose my business.

The only place I go to regularly that’s cash only is the nail salon. I like it because they don’t speak much English so barely talk to me, it’s worth drawing out the cash for that reason alone.

harbaughskhakis · 12/01/2023 14:51

I never use cash, I find using a card much easier for budgeting but also its just a pain to get cash out where I live, have to drive to an atm that's normally not working or wait for the rbs van to trundle along once a week.

Shade17 · 12/01/2023 14:52

YANBU, I refuse to use any business that won’t accept card payments

gfy · 12/01/2023 15:00

If you ever worked in retail you'd know that the customer is usually a dick!

Amen, I've actually never met anymore more wrong than a customer Grin

Cash is a bit of a faff though, I never carry it.

LolaSmiles · 12/01/2023 15:05

I'd expect them to make it clear at the time of booking/on their page, but it's not unreasonable to be cash only

There was something about the amount banks make in charges now most people have dropped cash, and it got me thinking about using cash more to help small businesses.