The cashless society is a con – and big finance is behind it

(Andy) #21

I need to get a new hairdressers! :rofl:

(Kieran McCann ) #22

:thinking: I guess tipping your hairdresser could be a problem but we could find a solution to that.

#23

If they tried to charge more for a short back and sides, it’d be expecting every hair is cut one by one with a pair of scissors :stuck_out_tongue:

(Andy) #24

In the US where tipping is expected their card machines are always set up to handle gratuity even when its by signature, chip & sig or the other myriad of authentication options they have.

As we move more cashless I’m feeling a bit less guilty about tipping here since I had every intention of tipping but it’s not my fault you’ve not enabled the machine to let me do so!

#25

I used to work in a nightclub, and the amount of times people would try and randomly give you tips like £12.34, or other 4 digit values was surprising! haha. I’d hope these weren’t the same values as their pin! :wink:

#26

If they were any good, I would…

When I get the hairdresser that is good (there’s only one), I still ask them to take £10.

(If there's the wrong end of a stick, you'll find me holding it.) #27

I guess so. I just don’t think that people should be forced into being cashless or forced to carry cash.

There’s room for both (or should be). The balance is about right now in my experience. I carry around £30 in cash but use my card where possible.

I remember when Monzo finally introduced Apple Pay I went to my usual cafe to use my phone (I’d been using contactless there with no previous problems). Imagine my disappointment to read a message saying that their card reader wasn’t working, so they had to insist on cash. :slightly_frowning_face:

#28

Or of interest, what do card readers typically cost the type of business, such as a hairdresser, that would only need a single one (including hardware, service and transaction costs)?

#29

I don’t think anyone should be forced to use one or the other - At this point, I’ve only ever been “forced” to use cash (because they don’t take card) - Never the other way around.

I also don’t include ApplePay/GooglePay in this conversation - These are future technologies, which will undoubtedly become the norm, but not for a very very long time.

Given the cost of producing cash, the hassle carrying it around, and the fact you could quite easily lose it - I am yet to see a convincing argument to keep it in circulation.

The challenge is really to get every place to accept card payments - Only then will cash die.

#30

What about buying concert tickets? don’t think I’ve ever had the option to pay by cash ! :stuck_out_tongue:

( related to Monzo CEO, Investor in Monzo ) #31

have your club looked at gocardless ?

#32

It’s not my club unfortunately - The world of Table Tennis is… er… rather old? haha.

#33

Can you tell I don’t get out much? :joy:

You need to use those super expensive touts at the doors… They take cash!

(Leon) #34

Depends on what I am doing or how much money I have on me at the time. On the whole I would still say cash as I can physically see it leave my hands. It’s not really the same when dealing with cards.

#35

£29 for the card reader and 1.69% of every transaction. So a £10 transaction would cost them 17p.

(Andy) #36

We’re pretty much at the tipping point where not taking card costs more money to a business than taking card!

#37

I would massively prefer to be cashless.

Unfortunately, a stupid baguette shop in town is still cash only, so I have to get cash out just for that :frowning:

Liam

(Kieran McCann ) #38

The iZettle one that I see most often only cost £29 with a 1.75% card transaction fee so a £10 transaction would cost 17.5p.

#39

I found that at my local table tennis club. My 15yr old son was the youngest there but about 45 years!! I did enjoy being regarded as a youngster though!

(Jolin) #40

There’s no other easy way to settle amounts between people without lots of setup. There’s a milk kitty at work, and it would be far more hassle for someone to have to track lots of bank transfers, and then you can’t pass managing the collection between people, etc. There are several situations that arise like this where people just want to quickly settle amounts between two or more people.

I also have a few transactions that I want to be able to make anonymously (eg my phone top-up). Cash can’t be traced, I would hate to see us forced into using a traceable payment method for every purchase – a bit too Orwellian for me. :wink: