Anyone else still pay by cash?

TheWoodler

It’s a really interesting discussion to have and I’d agree with @Section62 that traders will do what works for their circumstances.

I’ve observed a lot of variation over the years. It isn’t always or solely down to the fees. Very rural areas can find that their SumUp or whatever machines just don’t reliably work if there’s no good signal. The trade-off might be that cash sales are better than no sales. Elsewhere it can be principle - there’s an urban greengrocer’s near me which is cash-only to encourage the retention of cash, and which seems to be thriving or at least holding its own. I often use cash at greengrocers, as I might only want one item that day, eg a lemon, and it seems silly to use my card for 45p.

The biggest change I’ve seen is the lack of dropped change. I’ve always saved coppers and 5p pieces received as change (supplemented with the occasional dropped coin) and I haven’t yet dropped that lifelong habit - but it is getting harder to sustain. It takes much longer now to fill up a bag of coins, due to receiving less change, and it must be a year since I last spotted a coin on the ground, but I still enjoy the challenge of trying to get at least 3 bags worth £7 (5p/2p/1p) to pay in! For me it’s still worth doing as I have a bus pass, so can travel to the nearest branch, or it wouldn’t be sustainable at all. It’s just a little fun thing to do and a link to my much-missed old man as it always triggers memories of helping him pay in his takings, which were usually coins back then! How long can I keep it going, I wonder?

icedms

Paying small businesses with cash.

A couple of months ago I decided to ask small businesses how they would prefer me to pay and they are mostly opting for cash. It’s card everywhere else.

Xenon

I think reading this thread we can all agree that there are advantages/disadvantages with cash/cashless and there is no right or wrong simply what is-at this time.

However it is clearly going one way to a future cashless society - whether we like it or not.

Nasqueron

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82029130#Comment_82029130

There might be a few rare occasions when circumstances combine to make it so but in essentially every legitimate trading business situation cash is more expensive when the total costs are added up - they don't think about the security, the thefts, fake notes, transporting cash, cashing up time etc e.g. they think doing the books and sums at the end of the day is free, or don't think of the risk of losing the days takings, not forgetting the incalculable lost business from cashless people who walk past to the next business

Nasqueron

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82031430#Comment_82031430

You do have to wonder if any of them sat down and worked out the costs - the businesses who switched to cashless do it for security and to save money and get more footfall. Plus it has the bonus of keeping Piers Corbyn away!

Rob5342

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82034764#Comment_82034764

There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to each, but I'd say overall it very strongly goes towards cashless as its so much more convenient and secure.

I think it will be a very long time before we are completely cashless, just like paper documents are still around for some things.