Does nobody use cash anymore?
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
March 18, 2017 9:37am CST
During my regular strolls around the city centre, I usually call into Greggs to buy a cup of coffee. This is a major bakery chain here in England and most customers buy either a coffee or a pasty, which is a very modest cost.
Today one the credit card machines was out of order, so the lady at that till was accepting cash only. With amounts between £1 and £2 being the average order, this should have made very little difference.
However, despite the place being fairly busy, nobody seemed to be using that till. In fact I was able to walk straight up and buy a coffee.
It seemed illogical that so many people were in a large shopping centre yet nobody appeared to have enough cash to buy a coffee or pasty.
I can fully understand people using a credit or debit card for the purchase of large items, but to possess no cash whatsoever seems very strange. Do people never carry cash around any longer?
44 people like this
61 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
18 Mar 17
I absolutely detest those contactless payment systems. It is safer carrying cash because if you lose the card it has no protection due to not requiring either signature or PIN to use.
It would not take long to run up a bill of £500 or so with such a card.
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
18 Mar 17
I keep small amounts of cash on hand for such purchases. My husband only uses cash to make any purchase.
4 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
18 Mar 17
@Asylum I have had to make purchases for under $1 for my clients because they don't deal with cash at all.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
18 Mar 17
@ElusiveButterfly What would happen if there was a computer glitch and their credit card was denied?
2 people like this
@rebelann (112738)
• El Paso, Texas
18 Mar 17
I never carry cash. A friend of mine used to and had his cash stolen, he never got it back whereas I have lost a credit card and simply called the company to alert them about it and I never lost any money at all.
Also, I get a % back on the purchases I make with them.
4 people like this
@rebelann (112738)
• El Paso, Texas
18 Mar 17
I have alerts turned on with mine so that any time I make a purchase I get a text and email alerting me about it @Asylum that way if I should lose my card and someone else uses it I can call to let them know it wasn't me, my cards always refund if I do that.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (179715)
• United States
18 Mar 17
I only have cash when roomie pays me, as he pays that way, other than that..it is all debit or credit card for me.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Mar 17
@snowy22315 This is obviously due to the different societies that we grew up in.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (179715)
• United States
19 Mar 17
@Asylum I find it just the opposite!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (135327)
• India
19 Mar 17
Our government is trying to do away with cash payments posing problems for many,. There is penalty if cash is withdrawn from banks beyond four times in a month including cash deposits. This, to control black money.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Mar 17
@allknowing That is all too often the case.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (135327)
• India
19 Mar 17
@Asylum There is a new wave of sorts here but the truth of the matter is not everyone comes under this. Those with vested interests have ways to bypass this restriction.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
18 Mar 17
I always have a few bucks in my wallet in case I see something at a yard sale - I've had the same few bucks in there about three years!
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
18 Mar 17
@AbbyGreenhill I would feel vulnerable without having enough cash in my pocket.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
18 Mar 17
@Asylum I do not like to carry cash.
3 people like this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
19 Mar 17
I have to use cash for bowls - our Bar and club is a CASH only business, so I withdraw a small amount to suffice me the month. When travelling we noticed that there was a required use of cash in ITALY. So many of the small businesses do not have the card facility and eventually after my EURO's were depleted, it was a pain, so we left a lot behind that we might have bought, had they had the card facilities. Apparently is all to do about declaring taxes.
For smaller things $1 up to $5, I say cash is fine, but from there on I dont normally use cash PLASTIC ONLY!
Its safer in SA and also when travelling
3 people like this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
20 Mar 17
@Asylum not for us in SA - we pay NO conversion fee when using the SWIPE method - our bank carries the cost for Private clients, however when I had to draw cash in Zurich to pay for a train ticket - we paid a service fee of $30 which I thought was such a waste of money CASH FRANKS cost me dollars - ha ha ha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121499)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Mar 17
I haven't carried cash for years. I either use my debit card, credit card, PayPal, or ApplePay on my mobile. I can't even remember the last time I encountered someone that only accepted cash.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Mar 17
@moffittjc When I was working my wage was usually paid directly into the bank by the company.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121499)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Mar 17
@Asylum I think it would be different for me if I was handed a paycheck at work that I had to take to the bank to deposit or cash. But since my paycheck is automatically direct-deposited into my bank, I never see it, so unless I make a special trip to the bank, I never have any cash on hand.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
19 Mar 17
Here in Michigan, anyways, some refuse to carry credit and debit cars and only use cash or write a check, but the majority of people only use credit/debit cards. Whether or not they do have cash for smaller purchases or not, I've no clue since I can't see into their wallets or pockets. When some find out after coupons and rewards that they only need less that a certain amount they will dig around for cash. Many are just a bit short and still have to use a card.
I think for those in a hurry, they think it takes too long to work with cash and therefore don't even bother even if they have several bills on them.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Mar 17
@MarshaMusselman I always ensure that I have money ready before I reach the till, so stop blaming us old codgers.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
19 Mar 17
@Asylum Sometimes the cards take even longer especially now that most of us only take the chip cards. Sometimes that causes glitches in the registers for some reason or other. Sometimes cash can be slower especially when the older people are digging, digging for elusive change, but no, overall it's probably quicker than not.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
19 Mar 17
@Asylum I wonder about that all the time. I've heard that, here in the US, they might stop minting pennies soon. We use quarters in commercial washers and dryers, so I'm sure they won't stop those from being minted. but I have to go to the bank at least once a month to get the quarters!
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8754)
• United Kingdom
18 Mar 17
Whether I use cash or card depends on what I'm doing, where I'm going, and how much money I have. Sometimes, I might need something which is only £1 or £2 but only have £3 in the bank, which isn't worth going into the bank to take out (if the bank is open at all) so, in that case, I would use a card for a small purchase.
I do tend to carry at least some cash, though, as I'd rather make smaller purchases with cash. I do know some people who never carry cash. My other half rarely pays for anything with cash. I'm not sure why that is. Even if we go to a pub, he'll pay on his card at one of them but take cash out if we go to another.
3 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8754)
• United Kingdom
19 Mar 17
@Asylum My other half only uses a debit card. He doesn't have a credit card. I think sometimes it's safer to go out without cash! I'm not sure if he deliberately uses his card or does so because he forgets to get the cash out. It's only in the places he knows well that he'll use a card usually, though. Or if the purchase is more than expected!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Mar 17
@pumpkinjam I do not have a credit card either. I stopped using credit cards as soon as debit cards were introduced.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Mar 17
My daughter rarely has cash, pays for everything with her iPhone app or something. Last weekend at the coast, a pizza place took cash only (imagine that). Fortunately she had some that time.
3 people like this
@workathomefan (8957)
• Prairieville, Louisiana
19 Mar 17
My friend Amy pays cash at the movies.On rare occassions that I have cash on me I pay in cash.A Mexican restaurant on Jones Creek takes cash only so I hardly ever eat at that restaurant.
3 people like this
@TheAmazingSquid (190)
• Camden, Indiana
18 Mar 17
The boyfriend literally never uses his card unless he is using it to take money out. Not sure why he is like that but he is just that way. Doesn't bother me any. I use cash mostly now a days too but that's because I am broke xD
3 people like this
