“If Putin invades Gotland [Sweden’s largest island] it will be enough for him to turn off the payments system. No other country would even think about taking these sorts of risks, they would demand some sort of analogue system.”
I rely on my phone a lot, most days I don’t even carry physical cards. I don’t remember carrying cash on a regular basis even that £10 note people keep for emergency So I guess I have gone cashless. The only time I touch cash these days when I go for a haircut or in some more cash-oriented countries abroad.
Just wondering how people feel about being totally cashless and would you rethink a little after reading the article above, if you are already cashless.
I have to pay the bus my cash, shop at work is cash only, kids school things are always cash or cheque, hairdresser etc. I can’t see me being cash free anytime soon.
If Putin invades we’ll all be in the same boat and I think we’d have bigger worries!
I’m cashless 99% of the time, I’ll only take out cash when I need to (e.g. for a haircut as you mentioned).
It’s an interesting read but doesn’t particularly worry me.
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Anarchist
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For me, I think that the great thing about cash is that it always (nearly) works. There are far fewer places where cash isn’t accepted than there are where cards aren’t accepted.
Whilst I will always use a card where I can, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest if a merchant refuses a card for small amounts. As such, I tend to have £20 or so in my pocket just in case. I guess I spend around £8 a week in cash.
I only take cash out if I think I’ll need it which is very rare. Perhaps club entry as they rarely take cards on the door. (Every hairdresser in London I visit accepts cards!). I think the only time I have cash in my wallet for more than a specific evening is after visits to my parents (when they always give me some - in Scottish notes too just to make London living more difficult) or if I’ve lent a friend some (one of my best friends is mostly paid in cash for the work he does, and if he can’t get to a bank easily due to working weird hours he’ll give me cash to deposit in my lunch hour and I’ll transfer to him). I don’t think I’ve ever carried cash around ‘just in case’ in the past fifteen years I’ve lived in London. In the earlier years I’d be searching out ATMs more often but I couldn’t tell you when I last had to find one.
I can’t claim to have visited loads of hairdressers but the few I have they only took cash and my current one if cash-only as well. I have lived in London for 14 years now
Personally I am always cashless for years now, I actively work to avoid cash - if selling something on Gumtree I ask for PayPal or FPS, etc. I do not need the liability of cash (loss, etc), the hassle of counting & managing it, not having loose papers in my wallet I can’t just easily throw away, etc. If I do end up with cash I usually spend it on useless stuff or give it away to the homeless.
I’ve been living pretty much cashless for the last year. I don’t ever take out cash unless I absolutely have to, and thankfully I’m rarely in a position where that’s the case.
Whilst I try to be cashless by avoiding shops that don’t take card, it’s not always possible, so always have some stashed ready. Small shops especially often have a £10 minimum spend if all you want is a can of coke cash is the only option.
Totally agree with this part of your post and I feel same
If I do end up with cash I usually spend it on useless stuff or give it away to the homeless.
But for this I feel like spending hard cash would probably be difficult than tapping phone/card. Again not sure because for past few years I have almost completely ditched cash.
I read that article too. Personally I use card and cash; for example some local buses only take cash whilst others only take card. I am very opposed to a cashless society on grounds of privacy in particular. All the fuss about Facebook and misuse of data would be nothing compared to the potential a Government would have if access to all spending and income was available. Yes, we may have a relatively benign Government at the moment but there is the example of Nazi Germany and The Stasi in East Germany which should be a warning. I find that young people often seem to disregard personal privacy but i think we should be very wary.
Because I prefer to travel light, I’ll only carry my card and my phone, in a wallet phone case. I could carry some notes but I travel by bus/taxi so infrequently I’d forget I’ve got the cash.
Im not Paranoid although for many I probably seem to be. I look at it from a security perspective such as if my card isn’t being inserted into a ATM it can’t get skimmed or fall into the lebanese loop… I also then can’t be watched what I’m doing therefore less likely to be targeted for a mugging…There’s also things like counterfeit currency to consider…
If all of my financial interactions that I make on a daily basis accept card/contactless payments then what is the actual point in me carrying cash? Even if I owe someone money there is a whole host of methods I can electronically pay someone…
Literally the only service in my local area that I would need cash for is to get a Taxi, even the bus company takes bank cards for single fares these days…
If your selling stuff on Gumtree and insisting FPS or Paypal, you’re just asking for trouble.
As much as I try to live as Cashless as possible, hard cash is the only safe way to sell on Gumtree (providing you check its real before handing product over). With FPS or PayPal, they could take the item then do a chargeback after leaving yours…
In my area Pay & Display seems to be becoming quite rare and on the machines that do usually take coins there is usually an option to pay by text message.
So I guess I have gone cashless. The only time I touch cash these days when I go for a haircut or in some more cash-oriented countries abroad.