QOTW: Are we ready for cash-less high streets?

[Myss_tree]

Cash is so much comfortabler under the mattress than credit/debit cards and is a better insulater. ;-)
Am trying to get enough under mine so that my nose touches the ceiling when laying flat on my back. :-)

[peterb]

Cash is so much comfortabler under the mattress than credit/debit cards and is a better insulater. ;-)
Am trying to get enough under mine so that my nose touches the ceiling when laying flat on my back. :-)

Try having the ceiling lowered!

[directhex]

Try having the ceiling lowered!

Sounds expensive. If only he could pay for such a service with card

[peterb]

Sounds expensive. If only he could pay for such a service with card

No that'll be strictly cash in hand mate, know what I mean nudge nudge...

[iranu]

Cash is so much comfortabler under the mattress than credit/debit cards and is a better insulater. ;-)
Am trying to get enough under mine so that my nose touches the ceiling when laying flat on my back. :-)

Try not to burn your bum on the light-bulb when doing a bit of rumpy-pumpy.

[ET3D]

So I've got to buy a smartphone, which I don't want, in order to pay for window cleaning?

Those stone age people who refuse to buy smartphones will be taken to the square and shot. That's why the service is called Square.

[Saracen]

Those stone age people who refuse to buy smartphones will be taken to the square and shot. That's why the service is called Square.

Gulp!

Anyone got a blindfold I can borrow?

By 'borrow', I mean you can it retrieve yourself once I, umm, am .... finished .... with it.

[Tabbykatze]

I think the consensus from everyone here is that the UK is not ready for this. Denmark is different, their social and monetary systems have changed in regards to physical moneys.

I'm not quite Saracen, but I like physical monetary for a lot of reasons, but a digital age is a digital age so both have their places. As the world becomes more digitised, physical money may cease to exist or we will turn into a Judge Dredd society where we use credit chips xD

[TooTay]

I'm not sure I would completely support doing away with cash but for the past decade I've hated carrying cash, I always use my card where I can, it allows me to spend exactly what I need to without getting a pocket full of change afterwards, for convenience, space and time saving it's significantly better than carrying cash, how many times have you had a fiver in your pocket and then had to go withdraw an odd amount or cash to pay for something, the time wasted on this annoys me.

I feel the digital medium gives you more control over your spending than the physical, it's all mindset I suppose, there are some people that still can't wrap their heads around the idea of digital money and spend more than they need to. I certainly don't have this problem and in fact I find that when using cash you are almost always going to have spare or left over change from purchases, which encourages people to spend it.

[smilertoo]

It should remain a choice, forcing it would just be another way for authorities to control and monitor the population. Another problem is that if there's an issue with the banks or machines you're totally screwed unless you have cash on you, it's always nice to have backup.

[Myss_tree]

Finding an electronic payment card down the back of the sofa just wont have the same feel to it.

[azrael-]

I think the consensus from everyone here is that the UK is not ready for this. Denmark is different, their social and monetary systems have changed in regards to physical moneys.

I'm not quite Saracen, but I like physical monetary for a lot of reasons, but a digital age is a digital age so both have their places. As the world becomes more digitised, physical money may cease to exist or we will turn into a Judge Dredd society where we use credit chips xD

Did everyone completely ignore my post? I'm living in Denmark and we're really not much different to the UK, when it comes to money. Yes, debit cards are widespread here, but not everyone uses them and pretty much for the same reasons people in the UK don't.

[crossy]

We'll be ready for "cashless high streets" when the high streets become merely a collection of coffee bars, fast food chains and trendy boutiques. IMHO, it's only the large chains that have the size to be able to absorb the overheads of cashless - I can't see the banks giving machines FOC and not levying some kind of "handling charge" on cash sized transactions.

Cashless might (actually scratch that, "probably will") become the preferred route for purchases in the cities and larger towns, but I can't see it happening in the "provinces". As many have said above there's privacy and fiscal control reasons why plastic "ain't best".

And that's assuming that whatever cash system is adopted is sensible. Our local council introduced a card system for paying for school dinners. Trouble is that that (expletive deleted) card top up machines don't take paper notes only accept a limited selection of coins, and there's no "bank transfer" type option neither. So Sunday night becomes a scavenger hunt for any pound coins so the kids can have school dinners through the week.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I am ready for high streets where we don't need to pay for anything.

[crossy]

I am ready for high streets where we don't need to pay for anything.

Already had that - Tottenham August 2011.

[shaithis]

How will the homeless cope? Or those who are refused bank accounts?

How will black market sales take place? Second-hand goods (carboot sales!)?

I think we are a LONG way from this being a flyer in the UK. Some countries, sure but most are far from it.

There is very little I pay for in cash but I still do use it and I feel I am at the more extreme end of the people that don't use cash much.