Do you refuse to pay on card under a certain amount?

Zero_Sum

glider3560 wrote: »

There's quite a few businesses in London that don't take cash at all. An independent ice cream vendor near Tower Bridge doesn't take cash (card only). There's an independent coffee shop near my work that also doesn't take cash.

Ive even seen a busker up here with a card reader

Zero_Sum

20SmthngSver wrote: »

I don't use a debit card and I only use a credit card for purchases of £100+ or online. I shake my head when I see people using their card for silly small amounts.

Unnecessarily spending on your card to get 5p reward from the bank is silly too, undoubtedly you will use your card more than you would.

People don't realise that all retailers have to pay a fee to accept payment by card. We don't accept payment by card for under £30 or above £500, and even then that's only if someone has no other way to pay which doesn't cost us more the higher the value. Else it's cheque or transfer as it's free to us.

More people are withdrawing cash weekly. It works, once your wallet is empty, that's it! Don't need an app on your phone to tell you that you're spending 'too much.'

Who mentioned unnecessary spending to get 5p?
If I need a box of eggs, Ill pop into Tesco on my lunch break & buy a box of eggs for £1.19 using the self checkout. If im at the self checkout, then card is far simpler. And if co-op are giving me 5p cashback, i might aswell use that card over the 0.5% cashback credit card.

And the only people who think budgeting with cash is easier, is those who struggle with money living payday to payday. For me having a recorded audit trail is far more useful.

What also hasnt been mentioned is that business pay insurance for having cash on premises. Less cash = cheaper insurance premiums. I used to do bar work in late 90's which needed a lot of change. The banks used to charge quite a bit to obtain coins, so would rely quite a bit on regulars bringing in their bags of saved change.

moneywow1

Cash is slow, awkward, dirty and inconvenient. I don't carry any at all, and use my cards for everything. AMEX > 0% credit card > debit card in that order.

If I really want something that's cash only I will withdraw some if there's an ATM nearby, but when I get home I put the change to one side, and every so often take it into the bank's coin sorting machine and pay it in.

Fingerbobs

glider3560 wrote: »

There's quite a few businesses in London that don't take cash at all. An independent ice cream vendor near Tower Bridge doesn't take cash (card only). There's an independent coffee shop near my work that also doesn't take cash.

I don't think you can pay for bus travel in London with cash any more can you? I guess you can still load up an Oyster card with cash (?), so not sure if that counts or not.

trailingspouse

20SmthngSver wrote: »

Unnecessarily spending on your card to get 5p reward from the bank is silly too, undoubtedly you will use your card more than you would.

I don't spend money on anything at all that is unnecessary. But where necessary spending is concerned, I might as well get a bit of money back - why on earth not?? Yes, it's only 0.2% - but given the choice of spending £10 on something, or getting it for £9.98, what would you do? And it mounts up - I let it accumulate all year, and then it goes towards my Christmas food bill.

I also don't understand the 'once it's gone it's gone' idea with cash. It's easy to spend cash and then have no idea what the money's been spent on. And are you seriously suggesting that if you had run out of cash but there was something essential that you needed, you wouldn't go and withdraw more (assuming there was more to withdraw).

Mrs_Ryan

I dislike cash and use Apple Pay for basically everything. It’s fairly rare that I have to dig my debit card out of my purse. I do have credit cards but they’re not compatible with Apple Pay so I need to make sure if I want to use them that they’re in my phone wallet. Up until recently OH paid for absolutely everything by cash, but I don’t think he’s used a cashpoint since he got his new account. I’m trying to teach him how to use contactless on his Barclaycard but unless I’m there to prompt him (he has severe mental health issues) he ends up using Chip and Pin anyway. I have no qualms about paying for any sum at all with my card, I hate using cash points because of my dyscalculia.

Fingerbobs

Missus_Hyde wrote: »

The other day I paid £2.50 for a cup of coffee; the girl in the cafe said they only took card payments for £5 and over, so she took £5 on my card and gave me £2.50 in change.

I had similar in a bar a couple of months ago. They had a minimum spend of £10 for card payment, so the bartender charged £10 to my card and gave me change as cash. I got the impression it was a well-practiced procedure, but surely it defeats the object of setting the minimum card spend?

(I'm another "card for absolutely everything unless impossible" person. Mainly for cashback, but also convenience of not having to mess about with cash.)

JuicyJesus

Fingerbobs wrote: »

I had similar in a bar a couple of months ago. They had a minimum spend of £10 for card payment, so the bartender charged £10 to my card and gave me change as cash. I got the impression it was a well-practiced procedure, but surely it defeats the object of setting the minimum card spend

My guess would be that it saves them having to bank the cash. They take the money electronically off you and then give it back to you in cash that they then don't have to count, bag up and lug down to the bank (having seen some pubs' takings in the past, the amount of coin they can pay in at once is... prodigious).

From my perspective though as the customer that's the worst of all worlds - I get less money in my account and then have to deal with change on top of that! Although I suppose I'd be getting cashback on my change...

badger09

I always carry some cash but only regular cash payments are to my hairdresser and Big Issue seller. Also prefer to tip restaurant staff in cash (don't eat out regularly) and occasional taxi.

Everything else is by card

• Co-op debit card for 5p cashback on spends less than £10
• Cashback 0.5% credit card for almost everything else
• Backup credit card used once a month for DD
• Halifax Clarity credit card for foreign spends, also used once a month for DD
• PO Money backup credit card for foreign spends, also used once a month for DD

All credit cards paid in full every month, but TBH, now that Lloyds & BoS have reduced interest rate, I'll be culling accounts so won't need the monthly spend.

No idea why, but I haven't taken to Apple Pay, though I have it enabled:o

Lumiona

I also buy everything monthly on my credit card, no matter how little the sum is. I have a little cash with me, usually less than £10 just in case I can't use the card.
It helps with budgeting and cash flows, just one amount being taken from my bank every month and I also get some cashback from it.