Going cashless

you're being kept busy today, Georges.
good work.

Reported!!!!
I have asked GNHQ if there’s anyway to stop these posts appearing on multiple forums.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I do use contactless a lot, but it always feels too easy, almost like your not really spending your money? I always like to have some cash in my purse "just in case". Visited friends in London recently and couldn't believe that you no longer have to buy train or tube tickets as you just tap your card as you enter the station and tap at the end of your journey! Amazing, but a bit scary! I think that's the way it's going now. No cash, no cheques, all online. I have to say, I think one of the main reasons the youngsters today can't handle their money and seem to live on permanent credit is not just because of the "I want it, and I want it now" generation, but also because they were never given a small brown envelope with their weeks' wages in cash. I had to split that cash into rent, electricity, gas, fares to work, food and anything over was for going out at the weekend! They don't know what they missed do they? But, progress eh?

I pay the window cleaner online, that is how he likes it, the taxi driver and the milk man all online. I looked into having a cleaner, a one person business, and she wanted paying online. Even the WI is paid online. We can still have both cash and card.

I still draw out from inside the bank my 'housekeeping' money every week. I use this to pay for shopping and other bits like bowls fees, and other group activities. I also once a month put cash in envelopes for xmas, birthdays,holidays, hairdresser, petrol, and car insurance. I like to know i have these things covered. All other bills are paid by D/D. I also have a secret stash of money in case of emergencies, So i guess I'm a user of cash rather than cashless.

It will be a sad day when children can no longer have a bit of pocket money - a few coins of their own, clutched in their hand or jingling in their pocket as they browse the shelves, eventually choose a comic and some sweets, then proudly count their money out onto the counter. A very sad day, imo.
For my sons, that simple act of 'independence' was the highlight of their week, one that they still look back on with fond memories, and definitely a great start in money management.

The point of my post, four posts up, was to indicate that it is now much easier and cheaper for individuals to accept cards.
It is not difficult for cleaners, gardeners to do without cash. If they want to!

I have POA for my daughter and run her financial affairs with NatWest, all online and love it. We can do internet shopping for goods and groceries easily even though we live 52 miles apart. My daughter cannot count money so contactless is great for her when she is out and about.

As for me, online banking with Metro, no cheque book and carry very little cash, I just use my card. I do try to keep some cash for a paper or raffle ticket but today I went to buy a paper and only had 50p in my purse, so I used my card. Actually it was fortunate for the young girl in front of me trying to buy a few sweets after school and didn't quite have enough money, so I told the assistant to put it only card and told her it was an early christmas present and to make sure she cleaned her teeth.

I amp typing this without my googles again as I can't find them so please excuse any mistakes.

I hardly ever have cash in my purse and I never feel destitute! I usually have to scrape three pounds together to be able to buy a programme when I go to football to pay the seller. It usually means sending hubby out to the cash machine for a tenner, then he buys himself a chocolate bar to break into it so's he can give me the £3. Other than that, I pay by card for everything.

I wouldn’t like a cashless society. It will marginalise some people. Between smart meters, smart speakers etc our every move, transaction and purchasing trends will be monitored. Control going to those that monitor the systems. Look what happened when banking systems have crashed.

It used to be quite pricey to run a system that accepts payment by card. A monthly rental of the machine and a percentage charge of the amount spent. Now there is a new system that allows the user to buy the machine for about £30 and charges about 1.5%. It is portable.
If I wasn’t retiring soon I would invest in one. As it is, I accept cards, cheques and bank transfer. Transfer is the cheapest option. I have to pay to bank cheques and cash.

I have a cheque book. Had to ask for it, but it suits us to send cheque rather than cash which has often unfortunately gone missing.
Royal Bank of Scotland.

grannybuy
I think it's insufferably rude to ask for an extra donation of someone who already donates by standing order.

I like both. Cashless is convenient but market stalls do not have the facilities to go contactless. All those endless passwords, fingerprints etc are fine except if they go wrong or cards etc are lost, mislaid or stolen.

What if banking goes down?

All my small change goes to support prem babies every Saturday when I collect my weekly paper. So many charities would suffer if contactless became the only way. Apparently in China there is a real problem for poor people as they don’t have bank accounts.

I’m also concerned about Big Brother, it’s already far too easy to gain access to others personal information and this is just another way of doing it.

I am nearly 80 have banked on line for 25 years, no problem, absolutely refuse to pay cash in hand, my window cleaner, gardener and cleaner not happy about it I have to pay tax I can’t be sure they do

I find PayPal invaluable in lots of cases.
If you use their 'delayed payment' method, it means you havev14 dats to decide whether to keep or return.
If you choose to return, for any reason, no money is deducted from your bank account and the refund goes straight to PayPal.
There is also a credit facility (at their discretion) which enables you to enjoy a 4 month delay in payment at 0% for items over £99.
You can pay it all or stagger it or pay the minimum or pay nothing for 4 months then pay it in 1 go.
Last week, H&M offered their members 30 days before paying for goods which you can choose at checkout online or in store.

One can 'bank' cheques without going on a 30 mile trip.
You can scan them on a banking app or bank website.

I dislike the thought of a cashless society, but that may just be because we always have had money.

I do have a visa card, but have as yet resisted all attempts to persuade me to use pay pal or the like.

I too am concerned about the fact that if we are to have a cash-less society then presumably unless bank security is better than at present, hackers will readily be able to misuse our electronic payment systems.

I also feel, like a lot of you, the Big Brother really will be watching every transaction we make, or will at least be able to.

Like many other women. I have always put a little money aside from my monthly household withdrawal of cash for Christmas, birthdays and the like. It will be difficult to adjust to not being able to do that any more.

I believe Sweden is now a cash-less society, they made the change to stop people moon-lighting and thus defrauding the inland revenue. I haven't heard whether it has solved the problem. I imagine those who do not want to declare income have found some way of making a payment seem legit. and not earnings for a job someone has done.

I used to suggest to DD that to help with budgeting she should decide on a reasonable amount and take it out in cash to spend during the week. This wasn't a great idea as she is by nature a great fan of contactless payment.

Things are much better now though as she has an account with a bank called Monzo, which I gather is getting very popular; each time she uses her phone to pay, she sees her latest payments on her screen together with how much money she has left. They also allow sub-accounts to put e.g. particular savings in. It looked very good to me, but my phone is Windows based, so probably not suitable - I'll definitely consider it in the future, though.

The local Council, at Bournemouth, are getting rid of cash payments for car parking machines. With the age of the population in this area, cash is used by most and this brilliant Council still insists on making everything carded or using a mobile app. I am not technically very good, so the simplicity of cash suits me to the ground. A majority of the locals would rather pay cash for parking. I don't even know my PIN number for my debit card, which remains in my draw, at home, so never use ATMs. I should be able to avoid ATM scammers in this way.

I often do a "bucket" charity collection in the town/ supermarket. We make quite a lot for the local hospice and I worry that charities might suffer if people have no loose change

I always have cash in my purse but yesterday I went out without it but didn't realise until I wanted to pay for something that cost 89p. Thinking that they wouldn't take my card, they did!

I do both,I always like to have money in my purse, but if I spend over a fiver I use contactless. Wouldn't like to be completely cashless,what happens if you go out for meal with friends,where we split the bill. And I have a couple of friends who use cash because they know they can't overspend.

When the charities that I support on a monthly standing order basis request 'extra' donations, I always send a cheque. I'm reluctant to put my bank details on their form. I know sometimes giving these details is necessary, but I avoid it whenever possible.