How Often Do You Pay For Something In Cash?
By M Cheung
@Beestring (14580)
Hong Kong
July 30, 2022 7:50am CST
I haven't been using an ATM to withdraw cash in a long while, simply because I rarely use cash to pay for something. For small purchases and taking public transportation, I use the Octopus card which is a stored value smart card. For bigger purchases, I use credit card or digital wallet. I pay all my bills online via e-banking. It is only when I go to the wet market to buy something from a small stall that I use cash to pay. But due to the pandemic, I seldom go to the wet market now. How often do you pay for something in cash?
31 people like this
32 responses
@cabuyogty (3034)
• Philippines
30 Jul 22
I only have pay in cash when i buy something i like and i need like groceries and sundae 
3 people like this
@cabuyogty (3034)
• Philippines
30 Jul 22
@Beestring they accept credit cards in groceries stores and other shops
2 people like this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
30 Jul 22
Do stores accept other payment methods or you prefer to pay in cash?
3 people like this
@Hildasalom (954)
• Nairobi, Kenya
30 Jul 22
Despite of the COVID-19 virus I still use really cash on a daily basis.
2 people like this
@Hildasalom (954)
• Nairobi, Kenya
30 Jul 22
@Beestring No they accept other payments but we are used to that...corona hasn't really changed how things work at our place.
1 person likes this
@psanasangma (7287)
• India
1 Aug 22
I live in small place, semi urban setting we still prefer to pay in cash
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471573)
• Switzerland
30 Jul 22
@Beestring We have no wet markets here. I only use coins if I need to pay for the parking.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
30 Jul 22
I use cash only if I go to the wet market.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137261)
• United States
1 Aug 22
I always carry cash with me. Whether we use it or our PayPal debit card or my checkbook to pay depends on where we're at and what we're paying for.
Probably once a week I pay cash for something.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (82839)
• United States
30 Jul 22
I use cash less and less these days. It's just so much easier to use my debit card when making a purchase
2 people like this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
30 Jul 22
Yes, it's more convenient and hygienic too.
1 person likes this
@Laurakemunto (12862)
• Kenya
30 Jul 22
I do feel so much comfortable going cashless be most people here have not fully embraced it
1 person likes this
@May2k8 (18371)
• Indonesia
31 Jul 22
@Beestring Nope my digital wallet is only Linked to Bank Account.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
Is your digital wallet linked to credit card? Mine do.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
30 Jul 22
I think someday, most societies will become cashless.
2 people like this
@sjvg1976 (41281)
• Delhi, India
30 Jul 22
@Beestring and that is better. As the online transaction is easy to do so we should use them.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (68230)
• United States
30 Jul 22
I rarely pay cash anymore. The main reason being, my savings account pays less than a quarter of one percent interest, while my credit card gives me 1.5% cash back for everything I spend. It’s more economically feasible to use the card. (I pay it off every month, which I’m sure infuriates them, but there’s no asterisk saying “you only get money back if you carry a balance,” so too bad for them. 
)
)2 people like this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
30 Jul 22
That's good mathematics. I use credit card often for their cash back. Like you, I pay off the balance every month.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340489)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
@Beestring I think the proprietor doesn't declare the cash on his tax returns.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv Yes, you're right. Or claim any amount they wish.
1 person likes this
@nitirrbb7 (4317)
• India
31 Jul 22
Very rarely because most of the time people need change instead of big notes, I mostly use UPI (Unified Payments Interface).
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
Is it a kind of electronic payment system?
1 person likes this
@nitirrbb7 (4317)
• India
31 Jul 22
@Beestring Yes it is you just have to scan barcode of the merchant and the money automatically gets transferred to his account. Even you if you enter the mobile number of the respective person you want to send the money and it easily gets transferred to their account and same with us a unique barcode is assigned to us or our mobile number and anyone in India can transfer you money. I think it's currently only in India.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
@nitirrbb7 We have the barcode thing, and we can also send money to a person if we enter his/her mobile number. But have a unique barcode for each person is new to me.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
31 Jul 22
I rarely use cash, only my debit card.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
1 Aug 22
@Beestring I should keep cash for emergencies though.
1 person likes this
@Laurakemunto (12862)
• Kenya
30 Jul 22
I can say, in many instances as some people here do not accept online payments
1 person likes this
@Laurakemunto (12862)
• Kenya
31 Jul 22
@Beestring some do pay with mobile but do a reversal and end up paying nothing so people fear it
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
Sooner or later, some societies will become cashless.
1 person likes this
@Jenaisle (14078)
• Philippines
31 Jul 22
Credit cards and not used much by my family, only my son and grandkid use them. The rest of the family members pay in cash, It's because we buy only small things from small stores that do not accept credit cards. We call them sari-sari stores. This is the Pinoy way.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
I need to use cash to buy things from small stores in wet market too.
@jobelbojel (35651)
• Philippines
31 Jul 22
The only time I pay cash is for bus ride. All transactions, I use my debit card or the e-wallet. It is convenient this way. And the last time I paid in cash was last week when I went to city office.
1 person likes this
@merrybelle2021 (1393)
• Philippines
31 Jul 22
@Beestring Is the Octopus smart card for all public transportation in Hong Kong like trains, buses and taxis? Do you top it up or buy a new card every time it's used up?
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
@merrybelle2021 We top up the value. Octopus card is not only used in public transportation. It's widely accepted as a method payment in most stores.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
We don't pay cash for public transportation here. We use a Octopus card, a stored value smart card.
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
31 Jul 22
Hmm, not much. I get $20 worth of quarters, 2 rolls so, need cash for this. This past month 2 x cash use. Laundry quarters & very small purchase under $5 at store. I use my PayPal or credit card too mostly.
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
1 Aug 22
@Beestring
Much safer, using cards. Bad ones have been attacking elder people. I go Chinatown for fresh produce and Lo Han Kuo. I'm very careful, fy only cash sale there.
@MarieCoyle (37726)
•
30 Jul 22
We have had some instances that cash is needed, so I usually carry a small amount. I use my bank debit card to pay most things, too, but there are times when cash is what is needed. Farmer's markets, small purchases aren't worth the hassle of using the card at times.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (37726)
•
31 Jul 22
@Beestring
Some of the vendors at some of our Farmer's markets in the summer accept cards, but not many. Small businesses, homegrown items, they just want cash.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14580)
• Hong Kong
31 Jul 22
Here, small stalls in the wet market just accept cash.
1 person likes this
