Supermarkets Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's shoppers warned after cash refused

Gummie

You should never give cash to a homeless person but direct to a charity. Cash to a homeless person will likely be spent on drugs. If you want to give them something buy them something to eat. Cash is the worst approach for beggars or homeless. Unless they are selling the magazine.

Stereotype all homeless as druggies why don't you? I'm not disputing that some, maybe most, do abuse drugs or alcohol. There's a homeless man we see sometimes. The first time my husband gave him £5 he was so grateful, said that meant he had enough to go in the shelter that night. A chicken sandwich wouldn't have got him under cover on a cold winter's night.

You do realise that the majority of Big Issue sellers aren't homeless don't you? It's not a requirement to be a vendor at all. jobs.bigissue.com/become-a-vendor/#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20anyone

We'll continue to make our own assessments and give cash to whoever we wish.

We have a Faraday box in the house for all keys too.

There is nothing silly about it. If someone steals your cards you can stop them and be safe. If someone steals a purse full of banknotes then you've lost the lot.

Just be sensible.

You should never give cash to a homeless person but direct to a charity. Cash to a homeless person will likely be spent on drugs. If you want to give them something buy them something to eat. Cash is the worst approach for beggars or homeless. Unless they are selling the magazine.

I always tap using my phone, and have had a £10 note in my purse since May when I spent a week in London and took some cash with me for tips.

I use cards or my phone as a rule. It’s just easier not to have to keep going to the ever-diminishing number of cash machines to make sure I have enough money for whatever I need.

I agree that a cashless society would increase social control though. Has anyone seen Hunted on tv? People have to stay on the run whilst the police (?) and MI5 (??) look for them. It might be different surveillance organisations but the same sort of thing. As soon as they use a mobile phone or a cash machine they are caught, and their friends and family can be found on social media and watched to ensure they don’t give them shelter. Store cards monitor our spending too, and now HMRC has access to our bank accounts if we get benefits (including pensions).

It’s not as simple as switching to cash though, as although the detail of what we buy is private, we have to get our hands on it to spend it. In the days of taking money from a bank teller or over a PO counter the transactions were still recorded, so the authorities would know that Mrs D Dog was at Hometown Bank at X o’clock and withdrew £25. They can work out via statements how long that is likely to last and be ready to catch you at the next withdrawal. Unless you are paid in cash (rarely an option outside the black market) you are not anonymous anyway.

Another worry is a cyber attack. The country would grind to a halt if all the digital records of our finances were wiped. We would be unable to buy (or sell) anything and would basically all be impoverished. Even gold bars would be useless as what would anyone use to buy them, and how would we spend it?

Thinking about it too much would make my head explode, so I just do what’s easiest and pay small amounts with cash and most other things (over a fiver or so) digitally.

£15 bloody hell!!!

I like to use both. I keep cash handy but have my card, too!

£15, for coffee a sarnie and a slice of cake!!! 🤪🤪

Another problem with cashless is using facilities like car parks.
RingGo is useful, but costs 20p extra to use it. So that’s £1 for every 5 walks, expects that everyone has an smartphone, and usually has the notice, “there is a temporary problem with credit card facilities here”
We used to be able to pay card/cash or app.

Then there are public toilets. Granted they are becoming fewer, but the cost has gone from 20p to £1 since July this year.

I’d like to think it’s going for paying more to the people who cleaned the toilets.

Cynically I think it’s in preparation for card usage, 20p on your card can’t be profitable for those collecting the fees if they have to pay a fee to the card service provider.

I would hate us to become a cashless society. I was at Victoria station recently waiting for someone and the coffee stand only took card payments, which annoyed me, because I wanted the coffee (I did pay by card, I admit). But I use cash for small amounts wherever plossible. I stand by everyone on this thread who wants to keep cash and I don't agree with Gummie's 'silly scaremongering' comment.

I like to have the choice, but 99% of the time, I pay with a card, in fact a credit card. There are pros and cons for both methods, with cash, it is easier to budget because you can see how much is left in your wallet, and it is more of a connection with what you are spending, but with card payments it means retailers can't under declare their income. It is also less of a security problem for shopkeepers as they don't have a lot of cash on the premises which has to be banked in the ever decreasing number of bank branches.

GrannyGravy13

Starbucks are going cashless here in U.K. as from 1/10/24

Just another reason for folks to avoid their premises.

Their insipid coffee is reason enough for me!

Those that want a cashless society do you never give cash to a homeless person, or drop money into a charity collecting tin (on top of any regular donations to charities you have set up), or give a child treat money to buy some sweets or an ice cream? Children as young as 4 or 5 can take joy in handing over the money for their treat and it teaches them the cost of things, something a piece of plastic can never do.
It can be harder to keep track of spending when using card payments, those who prefer to withdraw a set amount of cash each week/month can see exactly how much they have left at a glance.

None of my ACs or GCs use cash. It will naturally die out if the younger generations don't use it.

All of you who say you won't shop in anywhere cashless or walk out because it's cashless will soon find you have a very limited range of retail outlets.

A lot of silly scaremongering on this thread.

GrannyGravy13

Starbucks are going cashless here in U.K. as from 1/10/24

Just another reason for folks to avoid their premises.

Went into Starbucks yesterday for the first time years (prefer Costa) and they were card only, no cash! If I hadn’t been with a friend I’d have walked out!!

I rarely use cash and much prefer to use my cards or pay on my phone.

If I were a retailer I'd probably be a cashless business. Why would they want to manage and look after the security of large sums of money on their premises? Much safer for them to be cashless.

I can remember back in the 80s when I was just a youngster having to go to the bank for my boss with a large bag of cash every week. Always had to have one of the drivers with me just in case someone tried to rob me. No, its much better to be cashless.

If they won't take my cash they don't get my business either

I went to the local library to collect a reserved book (£1.20) went to pay in cash and got told curtly "We have a card machine next time use your card" Grr I had the exact change. They also have self service to book in or out

Ailsa43

Once cash is no longer accepted you will have lost control of your money. The government and the Banks will then be able to dictate how , where and how much you can spend.

They will be able to limit your spending at any time.

They will be able to see at a single glance every penny you own. They will be able to prevent you from spending in certain places if they wish.

The government and banks could prevent you from travelling.. a limit on what you can spend on fuel or travel tickets.

The police could also be given access to certain accounts.. people who may have a drugs or drink problem could have their cards blocked so they are unable to purchase Alcohol, or medication.

If that happens thefts of Credit Cards and phones will become a huge issue.

Regardless if you prefer paying with Card now in preference to Cash, every single one of us should make a regular payment of something using cash to keep it in circulation, and we should all elect to keep cash as a means of payment .

Never has the adage ''Use it lose it'' been so important for our personal freedom.

This exactly!! As soon as we’re a cashless society (with seems will happen sooner rather than later) the government will have control over our finances.

This is not scare mongering.

They’ll see where you spend every penny. The ‘elite’ who work alongside government and world leaders will be able to manipulate your phones, computers, finances etc. for their own profits and to make them more powerful.

They’ll be able to take money out of your wages before you even receive it like they have done for many years in Moscow. The electricity bills are paid directly out of their wages whether they like it or not.

Cashless IMO will make us a very controlled society which is what governments want and are gearing towards.

Rekarie

Cashless society. I think that will happen eventually. Probably not for a good few years though.

I never use cash now. Apart from the odd tenner for the grandchildren

I honestly do not think your grandchildren will want cash mine don't, they all have cards especially for children. I don't have their bank account details so always write a cheque, they take a photo of it with their smart phone and it gets paid straight into their bank.

Soon cheques will be discontinued so our grandchildren will have to give me their bank details or get nothing at all.

Cashless society. I think that will happen eventually. Probably not for a good few years though.

I never use cash now. Apart from the odd tenner for the grandchildren

I use a card mostly. Just can’t be stuffed fiddling around with cash and wallets. Still keep a dollar for Aldi trolleys.

I’m a phone tapper, I love the ease. Always try to carry some cash just in case but it’s rarely called for.

I really think it should be illegal to refuse cash. It should always be a choice. I too, would take pleasure in leaving the coffee etc and going elsewhere. Personal choice is being removed.

Ironically the other day I had just used my card to pay for my weekly shop when, on the way out, I heard the (few checkout operators) start saying the card machines had stopped working. By the time we got to the exit there were tannoy announcements telling customers to use cash. I later heard it was a problem affecting several retailers