📰 Older and poorer communities are left behind by the decline of cash

I’m guessing you have plenty of business experience then?

The end of cash is also the end of anonymity. Good or bad?

1 Like

Depends on why you need some anonymity I guess

Most shops will be filming you regardless of how you pay, but maybe that is (currently) disjointed enough a process to offer some protection

I have not had any cash in my wallet for weeks, which is a bit mad when I think about it. The canteen at work was the only place I regularly needed it and they started taking cards late last year

Now I only see a very few places in town, mainly nail parlours, that take cash only and it sets me off thinking about their reasons in a not particularly positive way. What would they serve to obtain from not taking cards? Hmmmmmrc

Local barbers, chinese takeaways and smaller pubs here you may find are cash only in ni.

Its a real pain to be honest as i dont particularly like using cash but i know alot of people who prefer to have pass over tangible money when making purchases so they “feel” like theyre spending and then reign themselves in if spending too much after payday

2 Likes

If we go cashless then the government can easily take away your money. It’s already happened. https://moneyweek.com/99085/what-the-government-theft-in-cyprus-means-for-your-money-63100/

A cashless society is not only bad for the poor

But bad for you too

2 Likes

@gmclean Hi, I’m sure you know but you mentioned that the cost of a card reader is prohibitive for small volumes, which I agreed, especially with the monthly fees or even PayPal’s very expensive fees too, but have you both looked at stripe, there are no monthly fees and I use an app on my phone to take payments and just pay a small fee if I use it per transaction, but as it doesn’t cost, it’s nice to have and to be able to offer it etc and it’s really easy to use…

All the best

I’m sure the vast majority of these places refuse to accept anything other than cash so there’s no trail and they can minimise what they’re paying in tax. There’s no other valid reason.

2 Likes

Percieved costs and digital naivety can be a valid reason.

My barber doesn’t understand technology and she won’t accept cards because of the perceived cost. She would rather just walk up to the Post Office five doors up and pay it in there. To tar everyone with a tax dodging brush is a little unfair.

10 Likes

Sweeping statements, simplistic assumptions, and thinking the worst of a diverse group of individuals is always a good idea. :roll_eyes:

3 Likes

Thanks. Yes looked at all those options too (she has, it’s not my business!). Small number of transactions a day (3 to 5) so even then it doesn’t really balance up given that most customers want to pay cash.

Muting this thread, it’s getting toxic. Just because YOU don’t understand why someone wants something, doesn’t make it wrong.

1 Like

I’m trying to think of transactions where I need to pay cash. :thinking:

Very old cark parks that don’t take card/contactless, but rare as I normally scope out where I need to park. I’ll even Ringo with the extra *p charge in those that have by phone. I was happy with ParkJockey the other week, not leaving the car to find a pay point. Much easier with :baby:

Anyway yeah the decent fish and chip shop in town only takes cash. They must rake it in, I’m fine with saying I doubt half of its reported to taxman. So that’s my reason to use an ATM these days. :fish: :fries:

Sometimes worried holidaying in Devon/Wales etc that I might find cash only in obscure locations, more likely that card payments are down that day.

How does being cashless affect poor families?

If I wanted a loaf of bread I’d have to withdraw £10 (possibly pay an ATM fee too), whereas if I paid on card it would take the exact amount needed. So in theory I’d need more money to be cash only :thinking:

1 Like

It is well known that more socio-economically deprived people use cash more than cards. There is a myriad of reasons for it from lack of trust in banks to budgeting precisely with change etc. That is if you even have a bank account.

According to the Financial Inclusion Commission, 1.5 million adults in the UK do not have a bank account – some, like recently arrived immigrants, because they lack the paperwork to open one. More than half of the 2.7 million people who rely mainly on cash have a household income of less than £15,000.

1 Like

I think what really irked me recently was reading a report showing how most charging atms were in deprived areas
EDIT(Published 6 days ago as well):
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/efm/news/2019/cash-infrastructure-research.html

1 Like

I’d be poor if I had to rely on rip off cash machines :scream: and I’d constantly lose bits of change too! :see_no_evil:

It’s far easier to budget and penny count with the likes of Monzo, than it would be with spreadsheets, receipts and cash.

Perhaps educating people with that mindset will help, so they’re aware of banks like Monzo and the protection that they get from FSCS to name a few. Hopefully their lives will be a little easier as a result :slight_smile:

2 Likes

I think its the fact that companies are targeting poor areas with charging cash points.(The free ones are still in more affluent areas)
I think as you say education is uber important but how you engage with them is another issue. My mother did work on numeracy and literacy and you’ll be amazed the levels of poor skills due to people falling through the gaps(This education is need before you even get to FSCS and talks of loans etc). Plus did a load of “social” work as there was a lot of other issues going on.
Stuff like this is a societal issue, but with funding at record lows. The inequalities will just get worse.
What Monzo could do:

  • Work with numeracy and literacy charities to improve basic literacy and Numeracy.

  • Look at accessibility issues with Monzo and its App(My argument would be old people and small phones, especially if you have a co-ordination problem)

3 Likes

My local boozer is all cash and I’d say 90% of the clientele are cash paid on a weekly basis so are more than happy with cash at the bar. They also allow a bar tab system where guys get their beer and pay it off when they get paid it’s worked like that for years and shows no sign of changing

1 Like

A massively unfair statement. I know lots of people who are paid cash for various reasons but they still pay the tax on their wages if they have to however most are under the tax threshold anyway.
If your only paid a couple of hundred quid a week there is little to no point putting it in the bank after you’ve paid bills got your food etc.
It doesn’t make them dishonest tax dodgers it’s just the way it is for some people. It is worth remembering that these people are often the ones who clean your toilets and pick your rubbish up etc. If your to over privileged to see this maybe you should spend a week walking in their boots.

2 Likes