Cashless society......problem for many.

[captain nemo1701]

In Innsbruck we got to the bus stop just as bus pulling in. We leap on it intending to pay in cash, which is what we did pre pandemic. You need to pay with the app the bus driver says. Of course there’s no QR code on bus to find and download app. Eventually find a link only for my phone to say it’s not available in the UK App Store. We then take a free bus ride to the railway station, because we can’t download the app, and they won’t take cash.

(On returning a week later we did find machines which could issue tickets, but they weren’t signed in an obvious way, and if you’d arrived just as bus pulling in you had choice of catching bus or getting ticket and waiting for next one).

We called this year’s European trip, the year of the app as buses trains etc all wanted you to use one in preference.

I went with a friend back in May for a walk along a headland near Bristol. The car park was 'app only'. I couldn't install the app on my works phone as I needed IT permissions & it wouldn't install on my friends phone for some reason. Luckily, it was a remote car park and the nice ice cream van man said to us that he never saw any wardens stalking around so we basically had a free few hours and no ticket . And on the way there, I bought stuff to get some loose change...

 

[presta]

I'm wondering how long before Sainsbury's trolleys go cashless.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Something that really winds me up - is App only parking ticket machines in places where you can't get a mobile signal. Happened to us in Cornwall, we had to stalk around the place for 20 minutes trying to connect

 

[classic33]

Something that really winds me up - is App only parking ticket machines in places where you can't get a mobile signal. Happened to us in Cornwall, we had to stalk around the place for 20 minutes trying to connect

App only tickets on the local buses and trains, if they get their way.

 

[ColinJ]

Something that really winds me up - is App only parking ticket machines in places where you can't get a mobile signal. Happened to us in Cornwall, we had to stalk around the place for 20 minutes trying to connect

The cafe I went into at the far end of Scarborough's South Bay yesterday had a notice up saying that due to iffy mobile reception they couldn't accept payments by card. It would be cash or... bank transfer only! Who pays for coffee by bank transfer?!

 

[Slick]

Oh and another thing.....hardly anyone tips using their cards 🙄

I've tried a few times with mixed success. Some are OK with it, but quite a number of businesses are not set up for it because of the way they are structured now post covid. Golf clubs for example are mostly franchised now, as are a number of cafés.

 

[Julia9054]

Parked in a city centre car park in York on Friday evening. Paid via the PayByPhone app as per instructions on the ticket machine.
came back to find a parking ticket. I have sent them screenshots of the payment on the app and my email receipt and contested it.

 

[classic33]

The cafe I went into at the far end of Scarborough's South Bay yesterday had a notice up saying that due to iffy mobile reception they couldn't accept payments by card. It would be cash or... bank transfer only! Who pays for coffee by bank transfer?!

Would they have accepted a cheque?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Something that really winds me up - is App only parking ticket machines in places where you can't get a mobile signal. Happened to us in Cornwall, we had to stalk around the place for 20 minutes trying to connect

Happened to me - at the time I had an old phone and it had very little memory

to get the app to install I had to delete all my other apps
Even then it wouldn;t work and I ended up re-initialising the whole phone to get back some memory - then I managed to - VERY slowly - download and install "the app" but by the time it had the reception had dropped and it refused to work

ended up trying the phone number on the boards - had to wait about 15 minutes to get through

total time taken was about an hour - luckily the kids were all with their parents and my wife - if I had been alone with them I would have had to give up and go somewhere else

Clearly it discriminates against older people who are less likely to have smart phones
and, of course, apps don;t always install unless you are on a recent version of operating system - so it also discriminates against people who can;t afford to get a new phone every few years

but other than that it is a great idea!

 

[Gillstay]

The cafe I went into at the far end of Scarborough's South Bay yesterday had a notice up saying that due to iffy mobile reception they couldn't accept payments by card. It would be cash or... bank transfer only! Who pays for coffee by bank transfer?!

People with no cash ?

 

[fossyant]

I never , actually I'll change that to hardly ever use a self service checkout.Id prefer to be served by someone,same in the bank I pay cash in at the counter.

How quaint

PS where are these mythical bank branches

 

[Gillstay]

Happened to me - at the time I had an old phone and it had very little memory

to get the app to install I had to delete all my other apps
Even then it wouldn;t work and I ended up re-initialising the whole phone to get back some memory - then I managed to - VERY slowly - download and install "the app" but by the time it had the reception had dropped and it refused to work

ended up trying the phone number on the boards - had to wait about 15 minutes to get through

total time taken was about an hour - luckily the kids were all with their parents and my wife - if I had been alone with them I would have had to give up and go somewhere else

Clearly it discriminates against older people who are less likely to have smart phones
and, of course, apps don;t always install unless you are on a recent version of operating system - so it also discriminates against people who can;t afford to get a new phone every few years

but other than that it is a great idea!

The car park I use in Ludlow, you pop in 50p or a quid if your going to be longer and it tells you how many mins that gives you and off you go. Very fast, very easy. If only more were like it.

 

[Paulus]

PS where are these mythical bank branches

They are quite rare, but if you look hard enough you might just spot one now and then. A bit like trying to spot Ospreys.

 

[markemark]

The car park I use in Ludlow, you pop in 50p or a quid if your going to be longer and it tells you how many mins that gives you and off you go. Very fast, very easy. If only more were like it.

Fast and easy....but expensive for the operator who has to send someone out to collect the cash.

 

[Mike_P]

I'm wondering how long before Sainsbury's trolleys go cashless.

No coin release at my local one. Asda and Waitrose neither which are both edge of town centre and you would expect to need a coin. Asda did try it briefly but gave in as people went elsewhere as already you needed a £1 coin to park which they refunded
Have stopped that now as well.