Potential cashless society and the evil buy it now button.

the impetus for government/ society to at least partially fix that crisis so that they can get accounts, then help get benefits (which have long ago gone cashless afaik) and potential to dig yourself out of the pit that society has left you in?

are you an expat in another country ? there’s no danger our government will do any of that under ANY circumstances. More so its often not that they are not availible – its that the hoops you have to jump through at prohibative / confusing / too much for folk that have got into that spiral – drug addiction / Anxiety and other mental health problems at often at the root.

ITs not just a case of giving them a phone and telling them to get on with it.

Unfortunately not. I was confronted by a parking ticket machine on Monday that had a notice on it saying “Contactless cards only, no Google Pay or Apple Pay”. I had no cash on me and no cards – luckily Mrs OWG had a card with her.

Getting rarer and rarer though and I suspect they’ll add ApplePay etc at some point.

are you an expat in another country ? there’s no danger our government will do any of that under ANY circumstances. More so its often not that they are not availible – its that the hoops you have to jump through at prohibative / confusing / too much for folk that have got into that spiral – drug addiction / Anxiety and other mental health problems at often at the root.

I think the reason they won’t do anything is that they simply don’t give a shit about those people!

think the reason they won’t do anything is that they simply don’t give a shit about those people!

Much like most of society it seems.

I think the real reason the Tories won’t do anything is their traditional support base (blue rinse brigade) want banks etc to keep branches open, so any policy which accepts that that won’t happen will be unpopular. Therefore they just ignore the whole issue and occasionally criticise banks for closing branches.

However, they are also encouraging and licensing new online only banks to compete with the traditional platers; thus accelerating the decline of in-person banking with no plan whatsoever to help anyone who can’t / won’t adapt.

Bit like Brexit, a total contradiction of policies which ensure a loose / loose end game (for the poor and disadvantaged).

Contactless cards only, no Google Pay or Apple Pay”

I don’t claim to understand the technology… but did you try, or just obey the sign?

are you an expat in another country ? there’s no danger our government will do any of that under ANY circumstances. More so its often not that they are not availible – its that the hoops you have to jump through at prohibative / confusing / too much for folk that have got into that spiral – drug addiction / Anxiety and other mental health problems at often at the root.

ITs not just a case of giving them a phone and telling them to get on with it.

No – I’m not on an alien planet… and it may be a bit of wishful thinking. But I’ve dealt with enough government depts and having to make things inclusive (even at the expense of actually providing an improved service to the majority and leaving the minority with the existing service) that I can completely imagine the Banks saying to govt – we need to get rid of cash; you need to find a way to provide an inclusive service for the left behind. And because banks actually dictate how we work they’ll do it. I’m under no illusions they’ll do it to fix a problem – they’ll do it because the Banks push them to.

But of course, we also aren’t necessarily stuck with the same government forever. Different flavours of government might be as easily sold on the idea of closing tax dodges by getting an audit trail on every transaction.

I happen to love the so called ‘Evil buy it now button’. It’s been keeping me in shiny new toys for years.

Long may it continue :D

Same thing.

I know but the fact it’s not activated for phone payments bugs the hell out of me.

Unfortunately not. I was confronted by a parking ticket machine on Monday that had a notice on it saying “Contactless cards only, no Google Pay or Apple Pay”. I had no cash on me and no cards – luckily Mrs OWG had a card with her.

Technically he’s correct, it’s just the operator doesn’t allow phone payments.

Getting rarer and rarer though

Where do you live? Up here I nearly jizzed myself when I discovered Stirling will be moving from cash only to allowing app payments from this month. Never mind finding a working phone friendly reader.

I don’t claim to understand the technology… but did you try, or just obey the sign?

It never works, ever.

I was confronted by a parking ticket machine on Monday that had a notice on it saying “Contactless cards only, no Google Pay or Apple Pay”.

Did you try it? Did it fail?

I could be wrong but to the best of my understanding, Google Pay on a locked phone is functionally equivalent to a contactless debit card. This claim is akin to saying “contactless cards only, except Halifax cards.” If it’s factually correct and Google / Apple didn’t work then it’s only a matter of time, in the same way that 30 years ago we had to find an ATM compatible with our bank card, “hey mate, is there a Link machine nearby?”

On an unlocked phone GPay removes the £45 contactless limit, but I can’t see this being a concern in a car park unless you’re leaving the country or are in London.

I could be wrong but to the best of my understanding, Google Pay on a locked phone is functionally equivalent to a contactless debit card.

That would be different to ApplePay, you can’t buy anything until you activate it with a finger print, face ID or PIN.

I could be wrong but to the best of my understanding, Google Pay on a locked phone is functionally equivalent to a contactless debit card. This claim is akin to saying “contactless cards only, except Halifax cards.”

That’s exactly the case here.

Bit of a thread resurrection as I couldn’t find my own thread on a similar theme when I could see in my shop that peoples spending habits had permanently switched to contactless.

Wondering if anyone’s attitude towards card and contactless payments have changed with the cost of living going up?

My local pub is asking for cash if possible as their card payments have increased dramatically post pandemic.

https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/22874854.pub-near-stroud-pleads-regulars-use-cash/

My daughter has a paper round and gets paid in cash. That is useless for her so she gives me the cash and I transfer money into her account. A few weeks in I find myself with a couple of hundred quid in my wallet, it a pain. I have to find time in my working day and head into town to pay it in to bank. I could do without the hassle.

Interestingly, my 75 year old dad asked me yesterday to help him set up contactless on his phone, he has clicked that it is more secure than cards.

if I see a ‘no cards, cash only’ sign, I immediately think tax dodge.

I never use cash anymore, and I never have cash on me.

The landlord in that article (I know the pub too) says that his card processing fees are £550 a month, but I guess that’s got to be ‘only’ pence per transaction (you’ll probably know better than me, running a shop as you do). So, if he put the cost of a pint up by 10p and the cost of food dishes up by 50p, that would cover it without anyone of his customers really noticing, wouldn’t it?

if I see a ‘no cards, cash only’ sign, I immediately think tax dodge.

And this

A few weeks in I find myself with a couple of hundred quid in my wallet

That’s some paper round.

I have to find time in my working day and head into town to pay it in to bank.

When I get cash I just make sure to spend it in the supermarket next time I am there.

On a related note, does anyone write cheques anymore? I just looked at the stubs in my cheque book, its been nearly 5 years since I last wrote one.

no, but I got one the other day. fortunately barclays let you take a photo of it to pay in.

shame they don’t do that with banknotes…

if I see a ‘no cards, cash only’ sign, I immediately think tax dodge.

Yip. Or a business about to go bust

Our local has been cashless since it opened. The landlord says that you can’t put a price on the mither of not having to cash up at the end of each night, then having to find a bank with a branch still open to go and pay it all in

I get two cheques every three months. They’re dividends from US shares and there’s no other way of receiving them. The “pay in on your app” function is about 50% successful.

When I get cash I just make sure to spend it in the supermarket next time I am there.

Except the self-scan checkouts are generally card only. Which means I usually end up keeping hold of it until I buy something off Facebook marketplace. Works out well TBH, I’ve just got a mental list of bike/boat things I’m likely to need in the next 6-months or so and keep an eye out for so it’s saving a few quid Vs new prices and keeping stuff out of landfill.

And in my local supermarket (Lidl) there’s never a queue for self scan compared to the long wait for someone who hasn’t clicked that the reason there’s no packing area at checkout is because you’re not supposed to faff around packing there.

On a related note, does anyone else remember supermarkets with a divider after the cashier. Allowing them to scan through your shopping at warp speed, take payment, flick the divider across and get on with the next person. It was a thing at least up until I worked in a supermarket ~2000.

I think cash is great & use it regularly for small payments in shops & pubs etc Also, I’ve written 3 cheques this year (car finance, solicitors & wedding gift).

When tech goes wrong it’s always handy to have some cash about you, reminds me of a mate who was shopping in sainsburys when there was a power cut, shoppers leaving their half filled trolleys in droves – he offered £50 cash what he had in his & they accepted, saved him a few ££ and saved them emptying another trolley load back onto the shelves.

his card processing fees are £550 a month

at least its “cash if you can”, and to the regulars.

lets be honest, unless this was publicised prior to me leaving the house, how many of us are carrying enough cash to cover a family pub meal around on the off chance of this occuring? Who even carries a wallet anymore?

Phone is on me at all times.
Will take the credit card, nectar/whatever card, driving licence if I think there will be a chance I need them.
If I am specifically forewarned of the need for cash, I’ll withdraw some from the sock draw super secret secure safe.

On a relatednote, last week I drove past a road side protest. they seemed to have combined a number of conspiracy theories in to one protest to save time and money; so there were a number of signs relating to lockdowns, vaccines which were somehow both placebo and containing a birth control; and so on. (I think they stopped short of space lizards)
Plus one sign urging people to use cash not card to avoid something or other, probably Boris Liz coming round and asking why you were buying such hideous clothes. If thats the sort of people that love cash, I’m happy to be contactless.

but I guess that’s got to be ‘only’ pence per transaction

Thought it was a bit naive of him putting that out publicly as you can work out his rough monthly take on cards £550 at between 1.5 and  2% of sales = could be upto 27.5k……

Except the self-scan checkouts are generally card only.

The older machines did, newer ones are card only
That was the only way us socially anxious could get rid of our change. Tip it all in the little hopper, and then pay the balance on card. Luckily I rarely have change to get rid of any more.

Plus one sign urging people to use cash not card to avoid something or other

has no-one told them about the nano-bots embedded in the notes that shed into your pocket lining…

So, if the card processing fee is 2%, then I’m pretty much bang on at sticking 50p on a £15 meal and 10p on a £4 pint to cover it, and no-one really noticing

Hate to say it but they would notice it – it’s part of the current cost of living going up post pandemic…… It’s already being passed on.

I’ve had to increase my costs about 18months ago to compensate, the pub has only really seen this cost increase this year in comparison to 2019.

Hate to say it but they would notice it

Fair enough, you’re closer to it than me.

Hate to say it but they would notice it – it’s part of the current cost of living going up post pandemic…… It’s already being passed on.

The business might notice the total at the end of the month.

But for most people, if they can afford to go out for a meal then will they pick the Lasagne and salad at £12.49 instead of the Cod and Chips at £12.99 to save 2%, if not, would they notice if they were £12.99 and £13.49? If people can’t afford to go out for a meal then they can’t afford to go out for meal, it’s the ~£11 markup between ingredients and restaurant prices that causes that, not the 25p transaction fee.

Same reason I stopped buying frothy coffee in the work canteen, at £1.50 a pop it’s not bad but it’s ~£40/month I could easily save. I didn’t swap the Latte to a cappuccino to save 5p, I just got a cafetiere, coffee and milk from the supermarket.

sirromj

I’ve never used my mobile to make a payment. I don’t use my mobile for online banking. Saying that, it’s become quite rare that I use cash. Chip shop today, barber the other week. But always card in the supermarket, or pay online and collect/deliver. Agree with others, I don’t want to have too much convenience to make purchases. As I’ve got older obviously gained some self discipline around money, but still feel more comfortable with a few small safeguards to delay any impulsive decisions on what I ‘really really need right now’.

Very similar to me… though I did have Apple pay once a few years ago. Had to cancel when my phone broke and never put it back.

I do use the card in the supermarket and fuel but barbers and also anything treaty like a coffee out I pay cash. I find it far easier to keep track of what I spend on frivolous stuff if I pay cash (doesn’t matter what except its frivolous)… the rest on proper food etc. (overwhelming majority) has to be spent anyway so i pay by card.

I bought some beer and chocolate drink mix at the supermarket Monday evening and paid separately in cash to the shopping.

I use my phone for most payments now. Instant tracking of spend and no need for receipts as it’s all saved. That said, I am still a cash user – plenty of places where it’s needed. Eg reunion bar at the weekend, but I expected that.
From the other side having done a few fundraising bbqs over the summer, yeah there was a fee, but I wonder how many burger/hot dogs sales we would have lost out on without the card machine. One was a music festival, and the later it got, the more card/phone sales we got. The only hassle, except fee, was that we had a 3g one. It wasn’t particularly quick and the signal was rubbish, but I’d still take that over no sale.

Our village vet requires all owners to wear masks as a Covid prevention measure but only accepts cash as the card provider charges such a large commission but this is rural Cataluña so anythings possible.

Yak

One was a music festival, and the later it got, the more card/phone sales we got. The only hassle, except fee, was that we had a 3g one. It wasn’t particularly quick and the signal was rubbish, but I’d still take that over no sale.

I get that from your side but from the other side that was probably mostly people spending money they don’t have.

Similar situation accumulating cash from kid’s birthdays, presents etc and transferring from my account. I find it very difficult to spend it. Don’t even visit the supermarket these days so hoard until it’s worth going to bank to deposit. Everything is done via Monzo now so don’t even need kitties any more for holidays, biking trips etc.

Use cash as much as possible and am sure that other customers find me a pita. Found it an interesting and positive experience after I’d done this a few times, makes you question whether the purchase was really necessary or simply frippery. Never pay for anything with a phone and wouldn’t know how to anyway. Am concerned about CBDC so using cash gives me some semblance of control in a minor way.

We don’t have CBDC in the UK. Not sure how using cash impacts that.

Over the last 3 months I have tested my phone payment to the max. As I seem to be retired at the moment I’ve been on a big road trip in the UK.

In early August I was staying in Horsham and got the train into London, on the bus to the station I dropped my debit card and within 5 minutes I realised it was missing so using my banking App cancelled it immediately. Since then I have just used my phone for every payment while travelling 3000 miles and the only time I had a problem was my own fault filling up with petrol in Helmsley as I had put the phone into low power mode that turns off wireless pay.

In the last 3 months the only physical money I have had on me is a pound coin for supermarket trolleys.

I like the way my App notifies me of every payment within seconds (Barclays) and the spending tools are really useful in seeing how things are going.

My In Laws still drive 10 miles each way to get cash out and spend it in shops that take cards which they have Oh and every so often the MiL reports the FiL has left £50 plus in his pocket and its been through the wash (real money laundering)

I like the way my App notifies me of every payment within seconds (Barclays) and the spending tools are really useful in seeing how things are going.

this is the best function. Well, that and the fingerprint security.

The OP (a year ago admittedly) was talking about people paying for stuff and not taking a receipt. By the time I have politely declined a piece of curly paper to stuff in my pocket, my watch has normally buzzed telling me how much I just spent.

I go through my CC statement every month. But dear god do people still go through their wallet and add up all their paper receipts?