Cash - am I out of touch?

[Anewuser]

AIBU thinking I should still be able to use cash?

I accept that most places, and people, find it easier using cards but shouldn’t you still be able to use cash occasionally?

Went out for lunch the other day. The bill came to over £100 but as it was something planned, I had cash. The pub said whilst they can take cash, they don’t give change. Since when was this a thing.

At work, when people get married/have babies/leave etc, we do a collection. You always used to stick your contribution in a pot or envelope but now you have to do it online. Not everyone gives now because it’s obvious how much they’ve contributed.

AINBU, that I should still occasionally be able to use cash or AIBU cash has had its day.

@greengreyblue I would not worry. I do not think they are aimed at your kind.

Hahaha oh right, my kind? What exactly is my kind?

Tomorrow I have been offered a lift. I will of course offer petrol money. It will be a lot easier to persuade her to accept if I shove cash in her hand than if I have to ask her bank details

@MereDintofPandiculation i would buy them a drink/ coffee/ lunch or whatever is equivalent.

I would rather you paid me cash, I can't fill up my car with a drink or lunch that I'd never have bought myself, sounds a complicated way to reimburse someone

I mean if you were on your way somewhere together and drove me I would buy your drink or lunch when we arrive which saves you money to use filling your car. This doesn’t really happen as I’ll drive myself or get a cab/ tube.

The idea that it’s better not to carry cash so you won’t lose it if you lose your bag doesn’t really work with tap and go payments - if you lose your card, you can easily lose a couple of hundred quid with pin-less payment limits of £50 being put through. I know someone who had several payments put through on their lost card before they could cancel it.

(I believe credit card fraud is treated differently and usually you’ve not got to pay that bill, whereas debit card transactions your money is gone).

No opportunity to buy lunch, drink etc. We're sharing partly on ecological grounds. No point in driving two cars up there when one will do.

We volunteer at our community shop in the village. During Covid we went cashless. We haven't gone back. Cashing up at the end of the day was a pain and cash is absolutely filthy. Your hands are black when you've emptied the till, put it in the counting machine and then bagged it. Our last local bank closed 6 months ago. Its a 12 mile round trip now to bank cash. Our treasurer has to drive there,pay to park and walk through town to the bank to pay it in.That is risky for him and a huge drain on his time. The old and vulnerable were so terrified of catching covid they all magically produced bank cards they didn't want to use before. We love being cash free. A huge number of our customers pay with their phones

Most of the takeaways around here are cash only.

I largely see well off people paying with their phone.

Since when was this a thing.

about 4 years. Have you only just noticed?

@MereDintofPandiculation In that case I’d probably just take turns.

Obviously, otherwise I would have posted 4 years ago.

At Dalby Forest visitor's centre they came under fire for throwing a child's treat (an ice cream iirc) in the bin after they refusd payment as the mum only had cash to pay for it. Now that's bat-shit.

I can't remember the last time I had cash on hand (other than abroad in contries eg. Italy where cash still seems to be commonly used), I honestly wouldn't assume that a place accepts cash if it isn't explicit. Just my experience

On what grounds? Businesses are under no requirements to accept cash - I assume the pub would have had no issues charging the correct amount if OP was paying by card. The pub was being accommodating by offering to accept the cash at all, they could have refused point blank.

I am not convinced their policy would stand up to a court case.

Should be down to choice. Personally, I take £20 a month out of my bank un cash, so I have money for the pot of meetings I attend. That's it. The rest goes on my card.

I have to take cash on holiday. I hate it. It doesn't feel as safe when travelling here with cash on me as it can be exchanged. I wear a very big waist bag with that for safety with my passport in too.

They can refuse to take non-card transactions, if they make it clear at the onset. In that way, they can specify whatever form of transaction they want. They could even have a restaurant where they accepted only transfers via Paypal. Customers would be free to accept this or walk away.

The same does not hold for when the restaurant only informs the customer of this after the customer has consumed the order. At that point, the customer is obliged to pay.

You surely see how it is not acceptable for the bill to be say 42.70, but the restaurant demands that you must pay the whole 50 because they won't give change, or you must pay in [restricted method here], which you were never informed about before you ordered?

There used to be various bus companies which said "exact fare only" and would not give change, car park payment machines ditto (and having charges like £1.37p so it's less likely you have the exact change). Displayed in advance, so in theory you could not take the bus, or park elsewhere, but it's not as if a bus from a different company will turn up, or the destination will have two car parks, run by different companies, is it? One thing about card only is you do get to pay the actual price.

i still pay for everything in cash wherever possible
if I am somewhere where they only want cash I won’t bother buying anything

I’ve been buying stuff for my sons house and I paid in cash for the carpets and the fitters
i paid cash for the french shuttters
so we’re not talking a small amount of money

Both of them were legit business with shops but had absolutely no problems in accepting cash and I’ve used them before

I always pay cash in restaurants and tip in cash

My beauty therapist I book on line but pay cash when I arrive
Same when I get my nails done
Pay cash for my holiday in the travel agents and they said lots of people still pay cash

I have excellent credit and a few cards with high limits of 15k
but I rarely use them

Oh and just paid cash for my kebab and beer 😂😂

I had a massive argument today at a local attraction- I bought ice-cream on card then my DD wanted a pack of 20p rainbows & the girl said ‘sorry, card only’, I was like “for 20p” & she said yes so I said I have a 20p here & it’s ridiculous and just looked at her (awkward really as we were just both staring at each other🤣) then another woman came over and told her to take my 20p!

I don’t want the option taken away from me!

Same here.

We went back to cash as soon after Covid as we could so we could budget better. We still do the monthly pay day big shops by card but as I much prefer cash we then get out the budget each week for top up shops from the cashpoint.