Cash or card

Occasionally I need cash: to buy a concert programme, to pop in a charity collection, to pay the window cleaner etc. I try to keep a reasonable amount handy. Yesterday I wanted more coins and the next two places would only take card.
Mostly though I find it easier to pay by card.

Booths is vaguely famous for their declaration we’re not having self checkouts (except in the Lake District to satisfy the tourists)
Today about 1/2 their tills were staffed, including the newly labelled cash only till,
which was the only one without any customers, despite the queues at the other tills.

Yes Petra, the hold ups when a customer is rummaging through their purse or wallet looking for the right change or looking through two wallets and a Handbag looking for their loyalty card. Thank goodness for Apple wallet on phone. No carrying round innumerable loyalty cards anymore.

windmill1

pinkwallpaper

I agree spidergran3. Phone payment is so much easier and everything on record so you can see exactly where you spent your money. Much safer than carrying loose cards about as some friends do or even in a purse. If you loose your phone you would know very quickly and no one could open my phone without my face! If you drop or loose your card and it is picked up people can use it contactless and you may not even realise you’ve lost it for a day or two. Phone payment much safer in my opinion.

A woman in Sainsbury using a Smartyphone to pay, yesterday, and finding it wouldn't work caused a lengthening queue of irritated shoppers while a Supervisor came over to try and sort it out. She couldn't but explained the woman needed to contact her bank.

Tech eh?

I think the thousands who went through the tills paying through their phone trumps the one person who held things up a bit.

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In my experience many stores no longer accept cash because with so many Bank closures they no longer have anywhere nearby to deposit it.

And they don't want cash on the premises overnight or to be carrying it on their person.
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pinkwallpaper

I agree spidergran3. Phone payment is so much easier and everything on record so you can see exactly where you spent your money. Much safer than carrying loose cards about as some friends do or even in a purse. If you loose your phone you would know very quickly and no one could open my phone without my face! If you drop or loose your card and it is picked up people can use it contactless and you may not even realise you’ve lost it for a day or two. Phone payment much safer in my opinion.

A woman in Sainsbury using a Smartyphone to pay, yesterday, and finding it wouldn't work caused a lengthening queue of irritated shoppers while a Supervisor came over to try and sort it out. She couldn't but explained the woman needed to contact her bank.

Tech eh?

I like both. I use cards for bigger things and cash for small things. I hope we keep cash going really as many prefer it still. But it will disappear one day in the not too distant future I think.

Lose not loose

I agree spidergran3. Phone payment is so much easier and everything on record so you can see exactly where you spent your money. Much safer than carrying loose cards about as some friends do or even in a purse. If you loose your phone you would know very quickly and no one could open my phone without my face! If you drop or loose your card and it is picked up people can use it contactless and you may not even realise you’ve lost it for a day or two. Phone payment much safer in my opinion.

win

So are most of these people you pay in cash declaring their earnings?

And they’d know that how??

PS - I’m 77 so no comments about how hard it is for ‘the elderly’

We use credit card for larger purchases as it gives cash back, debit card and cash, depending what we are doing. I also still use cheques where possible. Our change goes into our piggy bank and is used for when I do a charity stall at Christmas and for car parking.

No cash, no card. I use my phone for everything since lockdown.I honestly can’t remember when I last used cash or card. My family is the same, the grandchildren have bank accounts. I don’t really understand the fuss about ‘losing’ cash.

I get really frustrated in my local Tesco behind people who have only phones for their clubcard and payment because it take ages with poor signal strength.

I carry both, and with small shops I offer a choice. If I am short of change, I buy something small in the supermarket. I buy from small traders and our local market and I still tip for good service.
My church cashier is happy to swap small for notes

Every week I have a Tai Chi session which costs £7 cash and an art session which is £3, so withdrawing a £10 note takes care of that. My hairdresser charges £15 so I have to remember to get the cash for him before he comes. Most of the time I rarely need cash.

win

So are most of these people you pay in cash declaring their earnings?

You are aware that cash is still legal currency?
My dry cleaners is the only business I use that asks you to pay cash, no cards.
I’ll ask them tomorrow when I pick up my duvets whether they declare this cash.
I know the woman so her reply will be 🤬. Quite rightly so.

Do the homeless have card readers these days? I have never seen any round my way, if they do

MickyT

Got to move with the times, cash will soon be no longer, I find the card much better to be honest better than having to carry all that loose money around, contactless payments quicker and easier all round, the times you need actual cash, are few and far between these days, most traders have card machines now

I don’t know MickyT, been to Sainsbury’s, Asda on a few different occasions, terminals have been down, notices up, cash only.

Ha yes it might Sarnia

win

So are most of these people you pay in cash declaring their earnings?

In my case you would have to ask the CEOs of Waitrose, Marks and Spencer’s, John Lewis, Aldi, local butchers, independent grocers, Farm Shop to name just a few…

I do use card for big items over £100 for the insurance but for everything under this it's cash as I believe this is how I can control what I spend, it gives me a better take on how much I'm spending and makes me ask 'do I really need it'.
All of my family use cash mainly and my GC all have a good take on what everything costs and its true value. I do believe it will disappear as the cost of producing cash and stores holding it is exorbitant. But what I will say is if you have ever tried to get a mortgage or have a financial meeting with your bank and be asked what did you buy here and why have you spent this much as some dear friends have after divorce its galling and feels like a real intrusion into your life..

So are most of these people you pay in cash declaring their earnings?

I do my weekly shopping online since I gave up driving so it's paid by card, I always have some cash in the house to pay the window cleaner and newspaper at the local shop

Cash for me. I’m a use it or lose it person.

I've kept a 20, a 10 and a 5 in my little card wallet, just in case, and they've been in there for months lol