Cash only - Card only?

[Lucan Unlordly]

Dropped into a town centre Cafe at the weekend and was surprised they are still 'cash only' and wondered how they get by in this day and age?

Had a wedding to go to afterwards and somewhat ironically the basket for donations the Vicar mentioned lay empty by the door. Nobody it seems was carrying cash.

On to the reception and back to card only over the bar!

 

[Kerwin]

Dropped into a town centre Cafe at the weekend and was surprised they are still 'cash only' and wondered how they get by in this day and age?

Had a wedding to go to afterwards and somewhat ironically the basket for donations the Vicar mentioned lay empty by the door. Nobody it seems was carrying cash.

On to the reception and back to card only over the bar!

I never use cash. I had a weekly service charge that only took cash but I managed to get that turned into a direct debit. I haven't had cash in at least 4 years if not longer.

 

[pentel]

Big supporter of using cash here. Last weeks multiple system unavailable issues could so easily have been circumvented by using cash.

 

[wayzgoose]

Apart from household and business bills, I do like my cash. I like the fact that if I pay 20 quid for something, that person gets 20 quid !

 

[johndon68]

Our local fish and chip shop is cash only and they are always busy, as is the pizza place I use which is also cash only.

 

[MikeJ]

The only thing I use cash for is to buy eggs from the local farm, and that's done on an honesty box basis. There's a few hundred quid in the kitchen cupboard that I got from selling bits of furniture when we moved home last year, and we just don't spend it. The wife was going through it to pay for her nails, but she's managed to move to bank transfer for that now.

What are typical card fees for a shop? I know it varies, but is is a percentage or a fixed price per transaction?

 

[pentel]

a percentage or a fixed price per transaction?

It can be both. varies between almost zero for large companies to as much as 2.5% for smaller traders.

At the small trader end by the time the payment has gone through 28 transactions the payment processors have helped themselves to half of the money.....

 

[Ozzy]

I haven't used cash for so long that if I walk into a store that only accepts cash I leave and find somewhere that will accept card payment. I never carry cash and find it an inconvenience carrying a wallet around, I can pay for anything I need on my mobile phone or using my watch so no need for a wallet or cash these days.

 

[IanSuth]

rugby club is min £3 on card - otherwise all sunday morning is a string of kids coming in with dads card to get 1 can of coke or a marsbar and the card transaction fee eats all the profit.

easier to have a card min than put the price of everything cheap up by the transaction fee

 

[fantheflames]

I usually have a little cash on me, but if I'm in a rush and I don't have any on me - I'd also walk out to find somewhere that can accept card. Nowadays, I'm using my phone to pay rather than my bank card.

 

[tony84]

When I was 18, everyone used to laugh at me because I used my card for everything. I have never liked carrying cash - just because its bulky in the pocket more than anything.

Bag of crisp or chewing gum - on my card. Now a lot of people prefer card payments.

When we had a pub, we had a few break ins over the years, we probably lost about £30k in total. Had we been card only, would we have lost £30k in business? Probably not.

I understand why people do not want to go card only, from bank charges to government conspiracy theories. But for me personally, if somewhere is cash only unless I happen to have cash in my pocket at the time, they would probably lose my business. When I go to the barbers, I get cash out from the machine as he is cash only. Thats the only time and it is generally planned.

 

[Office Mover]

I never use cash. I had a weekly service charge that only took cash but I managed to get that turned into a direct debit. I haven't had cash in at least 4 years if not longer.

KEEP IT CASH! All digital means more control by governments of what you do with your money!

 

[alan1302]

KEEP IT CASH! All digital means more control by governments of what you do with your money!

Does the government not issue cash via the Bank of England...so they control that as well?

 

[Office Mover]

Does the government not issue cash via the Bank of England...so they control that as well?

Yes but we still need to fight against CBDC

 

[Ozzy]

Yes but we still need to fight against CBDC

Why on earth would you fight against that?
Surely a digital currency is much easier to manage and live with than paper you can lose and misplace, accidentally leave in your pocket and get mushed in the washing, etc.

 

[Office Mover]

Why on earth would you fight against that?
Surely a digital currency is much easier to manage and live with than paper you can lose and misplace, accidentally leave in your pocket and get mushed in the washing, etc.

Please have a look at this which might explain https://keepitcashuk.co.uk/

 

[Ozzy]

Please have a look at this which might explain

Well that's three minutes of my life I ain't getting back

Fair enough, free will and free choice, but I don't buy into any of the stuff on that website.

 

[Office Mover]

Well that's three minutes of my life I ain't getting back

Fair enough, free will and free choice, but I don't buy into any of the stuff on that website.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Mark James]

To answer the original question ie how does a business get by with a cash only policy, well it’s quite clear- what they lose out on in people not buying from them because they don’t carry cash they make up in tax avoidance.

 

[Justin Smith]

I never use cash. I had a weekly service charge that only took cash but I managed to get that turned into a direct debit. I haven't had cash in at least 4 years if not longer.

I always use cash for purchases under £10, mainly because I do not want my bank account (which I religiously check) spammed with poxy little transactions.

 

[Justin Smith]

KEEP IT CASH! All digital means more control by governments of what you do with your money!

You are absolutely correct. Remember what the Canadian government (supposedly a Liberal party ! ) did when the truckers were legitimately protesting against Covid vaccine passports ?
It was chilling.... :

Trudeau vows to freeze anti-mandate protesters' bank accounts

Canada's prime minister says police will also be given "more tools" to imprison or fine demonstrators.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Justin Smith]

Had a wedding to go to afterwards and somewhat ironically the basket for donations the Vicar mentioned lay empty by the door. Nobody it seems was carrying cash.

That works both ways.
Our lad's school has a collection for Children In Need every year and we used to give him a quid or two to put in, but since the school went cashless they get nothing from us. I am not going to fart about logging on to pay that amount by card, particularly as I think their decision to go cashless was arrogant and high handed anyway.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

That works both ways.
Our lad's school has a collection for Children In Need every year and we used to give him a quid or two to put in, but since the school went cashless they get nothing from us. I am not going to fart about logging on to pay that amount by card, particularly as I think their decision to go cashless was arrogant and high handed anyway.

There may be an argument for schools to be cashless to stop kids getting robbed? A sweeping statement I know but it wasn't completely unknown back in my day and I hear that discipline is out the window now?

 

[Kerwin]

That works both ways.
Our lad's school has a collection for Children In Need every year and we used to give him a quid or two to put in, but since the school went cashless they get nothing from us. I am not going to fart about logging on to pay that amount by card, particularly as I think their decision to go cashless was arrogant and high handed anyway.

Why do you need to login to pay? Most debit and credit cards are contactless these days and if you don't want to use one of them just touch your phone to the terminal and use Apple Pay or Google Pay.

 

[MikeJ]

Please have a look at this which might explain https://keepitcashuk.co.uk/

I wouldn't trust anyone in that photograph to look after my dog for five minutes.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Why do you need to login to pay? Most debit and credit cards are contactless these days and if you don't want to use one of them just touch your phone to the terminal and use Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Wasn't it the lad who took the cash to school to pay?

 

[Justin Smith]

There may be an argument for schools to be cashless to stop kids getting robbed? A sweeping statement I know but it wasn't completely unknown back in my day and I hear that discipline is out the window now?

It's a primary school in a "nice" area, I am as sure as I can be theft was not the motivation for the school introducing "the cashless school". Like so much it was Covid when they started doing it and they must have found it easier so just blithely announced they were going to stay "cashless". Interestingly they tried to keep "online only" parents evenings but the out cry from the parents was such that they had to back down, initially to a choice of either, but this year it's face to face only.

 

[Justin Smith]

I wouldn't trust anyone in that photograph to look after my dog for five minutes.

See my post 21 for why they have a point......

 

[Office Mover]

I also feel sorry for people who have to beg. I gave a couple of quid to a guy outside a supermarket recently, but of course many dont carry cash now. Homeless people do not normally have bank accounts so cant use card machines like some buskers do.

 

[Ozzy]

I also feel sorry for people who have to beg.

We may not be able to give cash as don't carry it, but I almost always buy food and drink on the spur of the moment when out in town or city, and as a family we often buy tents, sleeping bags and clothes (although the local council has previously collected them up and trashed them without providing a suitable alternative for the homeless!). Anyway, even without cash, a cashless society can still provide meaningful support.

 

[Justin Smith]

We may not be able to give cash as don't carry it, but I almost always buy food and drink on the spur of the moment when out in town or city, and as a family we often buy tents, sleeping bags and clothes (although the local council has previously collected them up and trashed them without providing a suitable alternative for the homeless!). Anyway, even without cash, a cashless society can still provide meaningful support.

I generally offer to buy them a Subway or similar or (if appropriate) pay their bus fare directly to the driver , but, so far, every time they then find a reason that is not suitable. Even the ones asking for a few quid for their bus fare home !
It increases my cynicism yet further.....

Note : people asking for a few quid for their bus fare are not always just begging. I can remember losing my bus fare home when I was about 14, fortunately a kindly soul paid it for me, but direct to the conductor (they sill had them then....). I have never forgotten that.

 

[IanSuth]

I generally offer to buy them a Subway or similar or (if appropriate) pay their bus fare directly to the driver , but, so far, every time they then find a reason that is not suitable. Even the ones asking for a few quid for their bus fare home !
It increases my cynicism yet further.....

Note : people asking for a few quid for their bus fare are not always just begging. I can remember losing my bus fare home when I was about 14, fortunately a kindly soul paid it for me, but direct to the conductor (they sill had them then....). I have never forgotten that.

I do same

There is a well known guy locally (Mikey) who is in a wheelchair, he always has the excuse/plea he needs to raise £23 to secure a bed for a night in a hostel, has £10 or 11 and just needs the last bit. He moves around between 4 or 5 different local centres (usually suburban shopping streets/retail parks) staying until he gets moved on/asbo'd/known by the locals

I once offered him a greggs sausage roll i was carrying and he said he was vegan and would prefer the £ "to get a vegan one" so i gave it to his dog instead

Found him - it is this guy https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/r...-jailed-repeatedly-breaking-criminal-16374236

 

[Justin Smith]

Note : people asking for a few quid for their bus fare are not always just begging. I can remember losing my bus fare home when I was about 14, fortunately a kindly soul paid it for me, but direct to the conductor (they sill had them then....). I have never forgotten that.

Just to clarify, what I meant was I have never forgotten what that kind chap did to help me out, even 45 years later !

 

[Mattymoomoo]

I also feel sorry for people who have to beg. I gave a couple of quid to a guy outside a supermarket recently, but of course many dont carry cash now. Homeless people do not normally have bank accounts so cant use card machines like some buskers do.

They dont have to beg, there are services for this that they refuse. Giving cash to them encourages them to hang around and ruin high streets/parks. Ill probably be working in the Heals building again this year and i will be walking past a row of tents that no doubt damages their sales and makes it awful to work/shop around. Last time I gave a girl begging and crying (very convincing) £20, she found her dealer 5m away, jacked up and had a fit. Never again.

 

[Gecko001]

They dont have to beg, there are services for this that they refuse. Giving cash to them encourages them to hang around and ruin high streets/parks. Ill probably be working in the Heals building again this year and i will be walking past a row of tents that no doubt damages their sales and makes it awful to work/shop around. Last time I gave a girl begging and crying (very convincing) £20, she found her dealer 5m away, jacked up and had a fit. Never again.

This begs the question of how do people who do not carry cash give to charity street collectors? Most Saturdays there are charity collectors in my local town, so they must be getting quite a bit money by this means, but not from card-only types it would seem.

 

[Office Mover]

Keep It Cash UK

freedom, human rights, cash, cashless, digital tyranny, great reset, world economic forum, freedom movement, no digital id

keepitcashuk.co.uk

 

[alan1302]

Keep It Cash UK

freedom, human rights, cash, cashless, digital tyranny, great reset, world economic forum, freedom movement, no digital id

keepitcashuk.co.uk

Shame the site gets all political and throwing out rubbish life the WEF and 'Great Reset' rubbish and I do think it's important to give people the choice.

A quick example of the rubbish is:

There’s much speculation (quite rightly) that cryptocurrency was created by the CIA to control it and to normalise the idea that money can be gamed digitally (and it is the case that the CIA invests heavily into ******).

And a quick skim produces a lot of conspiracy nonsense.

 

[Office Mover]

Alternative views and opinions, often backed by scientists who are no longer on the 'payroll' is just that. There are a lot of things coming out now that were once labelled 'conspiracy' which in itself is a ridiculous term, like excess deaths due to Covid jabs (even in The Telegraph now!) There should always be more open discussion and debate, as I've said before.

 

[MikeJ]

This begs the question of how do people who do not carry cash give to charity street collectors? Most Saturdays there are charity collectors in my local town, so they must be getting quite a bit money by this means, but not from card-only types it would seem.

Some have card machines. There was a collection at the Parkrun on Saturday, and because one of the collectors was a mate (and because it's a charity I quite like) I got some cash from the car for them.

The only reason I keep cash in the car is to buy eggs from the local farms. Last year during a house move I raised about £500 by selling stuff on Facebook. We've still got most of that cash in the house.

 

[Gecko001]

I have not seen charities using card mahine for street collections, but no doubt some do.

At my local car boot sale / farmers market / fruit and vegetable market it is all cash. No cash machines.

My local Tescos have reintroduced pound coin shopping trolleys. It caused a few problems at first, but I think shoppers are getting used to it.