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

[oldwheels]

Yes, this is becoming an increasing problem.

Among my circle of friends and relations, there are a significant proportion who do not "do" all of this "online" stuff.

In our local ASDA they recently reduced the number of "manned" checkouts and increased the number of "Scan and Go" or Self Scan check-outs. We shop early (07:30) to avoid crowds, and, at that time, there is typically only one "manned" checkout operating. For several weeks there was chaos at the "automated" area, with customers unable to operate the technology.

Personally, I like the technology, and can use it, but, at 74, it does occur to me that this adaptability may not continue for ever, then what? Is it a new form of euthanasia, ie starvation because you are unable to use the latest self service till?

I have had to use the self service in Lidl in Oban because there was no checkout open. Just caused a jam up on the system and left everything for them to sort out after I went elsewhere to shop.

 

[oldwheels]

Our local Coop has just announced there are problems with their card transactions and you must use cash until they sort out the problem. This happens on a regular basis.

 

[Joffey]

Used contactless last year, more to help the shop staff where possible. However reverted to cash as soon as possible.

Cards have a £10 contactless limit, which has made it awkward for some places who insist I use contactless and not to place the card in the machine.

A debit/credit cards contactless limit is now £45 if you are dabbing the actual card on the machine. If you are using Apple Pay / Android Pay on your phone or watch I believe there is no upper limit. My biggest purchase using my watch was £2500 - that was strange but allegedly it's a lot safer than chip and pin!

TBH the olds need to get with the programme - they all have bank accounts now - just get dabbing that card!!!

 

[fossyant]

I've actually got to go to the cash machine shortly.

We're playing Crazy Golf in Prestatyn and they only accept cash.

 

[Drago]

I don't have a smartphone either.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

At Corran Ferry it is 50 pennies and the disabled one is double locked. Everybody just nips behind the building. How do I know?

You live behind the building and your rhubarb is doing lovely?

 

[DCLane]

How does one visit ladies of the night without cash?

Given that several of the local 'homeless' beggars now have contactless credit/debit card machines I'm guessing it'll be the same.

I'm aware there are genuine homeless and in need, but the ones with contactless machines are known to have accommodation and arrive in nice cars which are much, much newer than mine. Begging's apparently a decent earner.

 

[cyberknight]

On a similar vein we are supposed to use an app to book overtime , holidays etc at work.Unfortunately even those who have a smartphone and are tech literate have been struggling to make it work and the boss who updates the system says it take 2-3 times longer to sort it out so they went back to the old sheet of paper that has worked for over 20 years with the boss directly imputing the information.
On hols and the car park machine only took payments via the app , no card or cash option so we ended up going to another car park .
Raising the contactless limit i feel was a bad idea as it makes stealing cards and using it for quick buying more of an option for light fingered folk .

 

[mistyoptic]

This is the nub of the issue for me. Living in Germany, I honestly have no clue which apps you need on a smartphone in order to initiate smart payment and I seriously doubt I would be able to download them any way because of the fact my phone uses the German app store. I'm no longer eligible to have a British bank account and my German bank doesn't use contactless payment as far as I'm aware, so ultimately the use of a phone for contactless payment is closed to me for the time being. I just wonder about all of the overseas tourists coming to Britain and wether this is an issue or not.

Another thing that has occurred to me is the fact that I may well be charged for all of my transactions using a card and stung for the exchange rate. In the past it has always been cheaper and easier to withdraw a chunk of cash and just use that, with that avenue potentially closed and the smart phone avenue unavailable, visiting Britain could well have got a heck of a lot more expensive.

Please note the above paragraph is all complete conjecture and thinking aloud from me, I'm intrigued now to find out if the above is indeed the case.

I think, but happy to be corrected, you "associate" a payment card with your phone (presumably you have a card registered with your app store, Google or Apple). For example my Visa card which is linked to the Apple app store, is also linked to my phone for Apple pay. This is done through the Wallet on my phone ( an in-built app, presumably Android has similar).

It is then the phone doing the contactless bit and so irrelevant whether your bank does it or not

 

[fossyant]

Oh and Don't forget paying by watch. Unfortunately my bank doesn't do Samsung Pay.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm aware there are genuine homeless and in need, but the ones with contactless machines are known to have accommodation and arrive in nice cars which are much, much newer than mine. Begging's apparently a decent earner.

I saw a beggar in the street in Manchester in the late 1990s (ish?), which was when few people had mobile phones. I had never seen one before that date. The man was sat in a puddle on the pavement, looking bedraggled, and talking to some kindly person who was about to give him some money. Suddenly there was a strange chirping sound. The beggar perked up, and whipped out his phone... "Hi, yeah, sorry - I'm a bit busy at the moment. See you in about an hour?"

 

[si_c]

I took £50 out just before the start of the pandemic, I've still got about a fiver kicking around somewhere. The only time I use it is at the chippy as they don't take cards. It's a brilliant chippy though, but most of my other takeaway venues of choice now take contactless.

Rarely use my card these days as I have my phone on me usually so its not an issue. Don't even have a wallet anymore - my cards spend most of their life in the top drawer of my desk - just had a new barclaycard delivered, and I've never used the old one in a shop.

 

[Cycleops]

I saw a beggar in the street in Manchester in the late 1990s (ish?), which was when few people had mobile phones. I had never seen one before that date. The man was sat in a puddle on the pavement, looking bedraggled, and talking to some kindly person who was about to give him some money. Suddenly there was a strange chirping sound. The beggar perked up, and whipped out his phone... "Hi, yeah, sorry - I'm a bit busy at the moment. See you in about an hour?"

Similarly I was once stood outside Hamleys in Regent Street just before Christmas and watched a beggar sitting nearby. In the ten minutes I stood there he'd collected at least £5.

 

[Cycleops]

There is an upside to this cashless business, criminals are no longer interested in cash
The laws on money laundering and the traceability of notes means no more Brinks Mat robberies besides exploding dye cash boxes. Wonder what has happened to their business?

 

[ColinJ]

Similarly I was once stood outside Hamleys in Regent Street just before Christmas and watched a beggar sitting nearby. In the ten minutes I stood there he'd collected at least £5.

I was waiting for someone to come out of a store in Manchester city centre once. There was a busker not far away. He was pretty good so I watched him perform and started to notice how much money he was making. This was about 15 years ago and I think he made £30+ in the 15 minutes that I was watching. Nice work if you have the talent for it, and choose the right spot at the right time!

There is an upside to this cashless business, criminals are no longer interested in cash
The laws on money laundering and the traceability of notes means no more Brinks Mat robberies besides exploding dye cash boxes. Wonder what has happened to their business?

Getting into fraud or cybercrime instead?