How Long It Will Be Before Our Society Becomes A Cashless One?

[ECCOnoob]

2 hours ago, crookesey said:

There are folk that don’t have bank accounts, hence no cheque book or credit card, they exist on cash in their pockets. Coinage will always be needed by both the rich and the poor, how will either play the bandit or the juke box? I can’t imagine public transport without cash, and what am I supposed to give the beggars who touch my conscience, not to mention our kids wanting sweets and pop finance?

Most modern-day casino 'bandits' can easily be adapted for card or contactless. They already have functions to accept credit vouchers or even bespoke tokens which are given out by the gambling venue.  Lets not forget the vast amount of gaming which already happened electronically by bank account debit cards and credit cards. There is a whole industry of online bookmaking, lotteries and casinos so I hardly think that is a big concern.

 

Same with modern day  jukeboxes many of which now now contactless card points on them.  As do lots of confectionery or drinks vending machines these days.

 

You 'can't imagine public transport without cash' well you certainly need to look around a bit more given it has been an established thing in many cities across the world for at least two decades. Travelcards, contactless payments, passes, carnets, auto ticket barriers, online booking, mobile ticketing.....  really isn't a new thing.  There are entire bus operators who've phased out cash payments altogether. There are others that have a strict no change policy with cash going into a sealed box with no driver interaction. There are  systems where payment was entirely pre-boarding with tickets being bought from shops or online in advance.  There are entire underground systems where the whole process is automated with not a cash exchange or human being in sight.

 

Now as for your kids wanting sweets and pop, you do know there are pre-load debit cards out there specifically designed for use by  children with controls. They have been on the market for a good few years.  There are entire school lunch operations which are all done by pupils having an electronic card with parents topping up the account in advance online or prepaid.  Most banks offer children's accounts with debit cards by least early teenage.  More and more kids are becoming accustomed to online ordering, filling in Amazon wish lists at Christmas, in game app purchasing on their games consoles...... just how long do you think it will be before kids have a default setting of cashless operations by the time they hit school-age.

 

Seriously why are people constantly trying to fight this. It is not some great battle against "The Man".  It's just progress. The world is always evolving. Technology evolves. How we live evolves. We don't still go round trading sheep and goats return for 20 firelogs. We don't still walk around with our coin purse clutched in our hands ready to exchange a few groats in return for a couple of bags of apples.

 

Unless you are a complete moron or have criminal intent nobody is keeping bags of cash at home under the mattress.  We all rely on some form of banking  to contribute to modern society. I don't understand those who somehow take pride in skirting such a basic function. It's like they are asking to make their own life harder for themselves.  I certainly don't feel any obligation for the rest of the world to dumb down just to accommodate such people.

 

As cryptocurrency starts to become ever more mainstream there is going to be even less demand for hard physical cash.  We are already seeing some of the more hipster pubs accepting bitcoin payment.   The first government that actually takes step to bring in an official properly regulated version of blockchain and that's it, there really will be no going back.

Edited April 5, 2022 by ECCOnoob

[melthebell]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

Most modern-day casino 'bandits' can easily be adapted for card or contactless. They already have functions to accept credit vouchers or even bespoke tokens which are given out by the gambling venue.  Lets not forget the vast amount of gaming which already happened electronically by bank account debit cards and credit cards. There is a whole industry of online bookmaking, lotteries and casinos so I hardly think that is a big concern.

 

Same with modern day  jukeboxes many of which now now contactless card points on them.  As do lots of confectionery or drinks vending machines these days.

 

You 'can't imagine public transport without cash' well you certainly need to look around a bit more given it has been an established thing in many cities across the world for at least two decades. Travelcards, contactless payments, passes, carnets, auto ticket barriers, online booking, mobile ticketing.....  really isn't a new thing.  There are entire bus operators who've phased out cash payments altogether. There are others that have a strict no change policy with cash going into a sealed box with no driver interaction. There are  systems where payment was entirely pre-boarding with tickets being bought from shops or online in advance.  There are entire underground systems where the whole process is automated with not a cash exchange or human being in sight.

 

Now as for your kids wanting sweets and pop, you do know there are pre-load debit cards out there specifically designed for use by  children with controls. They have been on the market for a good few years.  There are entire school lunch operations which are all done by pupils having an electronic card with parents topping up the account in advance online or prepaid.  Most banks offer children's accounts with debit cards by least early teenage.  More and more kids are becoming accustomed to online ordering, filling in Amazon wish lists at Christmas, in game app purchasing on their games consoles...... just how long do you think it will be before kids have a default setting of cashless operations by the time they hit school-age.

 

Seriously why are people constantly trying to fight this. It is not some great battle against "The Man".  It's just progress. The world is always evolving. Technology evolves. How we live evolves. We don't still go round trading sheep and goats return for 20 firelogs. We don't still walk around with our coin purse clutched in our hands ready to exchange a few groats in return for a couple of bags of apples.

 

Unless you are a complete moron or have criminal intent nobody is keeping bags of cash at home under the mattress.  We all rely on some form of banking  to contribute to modern society. I don't understand those who somehow take pride in skirting such a basic function. It's like they are asking to make their own life harder for themselves.  I certainly don't feel any obligation for the rest of the world to dumb down just to accommodate such people.

 

As cryptocurrency starts to become ever more mainstream there is going to be even less demand for hard physical cash.  We are already seeing some of the more hipster pubs accepting bitcoin payment.   The first government that actually takes step to bring in an official properly regulated version of blockchain and that's it, there really will be no going back.

As i said earlier they are just Luddites, wanting to live in the past which they see as better

[Anna B]

1 hour ago, melthebell said:

As i said earlier they are just Luddites, wanting to live in the past which they see as better

No they are not.

Actually they are probably the more forward thinking, who can see a plethora of unintended consequences.

Governments and those in charge are not noted for long term planning or even thinking things through. 

Newer isn't always better...

[redruby]

I’ve certainly moved to making more payments but card than cash since lockdown but I do always keep some cash and use it for most small payments under £5.  On a couple of occasions recently the card payment machine has ‘frozen’ when I’ve trying to pay but it’s not been an issue as I’ve had cash on me as an alternative.  

[hauxwell]

If we do become a cashless society I do hope the technology that’s needed to allow us to become one is well protected from cyber attacks. 

 

[crookesey]

It’s progress if it suits some or Luddite/moronic if it doesn’t. I have great problems in imagining my late and beloved Nan and Grandpa wading their way through a sea of plastic. I’m fine with it, but some of my age (mid 70’s) aren’t, are they to be demeaned and made out to be of low intellect?  My grandpa was one of the best at mental arithmetic and written Kings/Queens English that I have encountered.

[altus]

16 hours ago, melthebell said:

As i said earlier they are just Luddites, wanting to live in the past which they see as better

Shops want people to spend on cards because people don't notice how much they are spending and so spend more. For people on tight budgets, that can be a problem. Some people find it easier to control their spending with cash, which makes it more obvious how much you're spending, rather than cards. You don't need to be a luddite to chose to do that.

[melthebell]

11 minutes ago, altus said:

Shops want people to spend on cards because people don't notice how much they are spending and so spend more. For people on tight budgets, that can be a problem. Some people find it easier to control their spending with cash, which makes it more obvious how much you're spending, rather than cards. You don't need to be a luddite to chose to do that.

You can also ask for a receipt which can help see how much youve spent too, i work on admissions and a small gift shop and half the people dont want a receipt, half do (exactly so they know how much theyve spent), I ask every person if they want one.

 

As for cash versus card, im not up on the totals, thats not my job, but it seems very evenly split, maybe slightly more on card? it also varies on a daily basis, one day can be nearly all card, one day it can be all £20 notes, which is a pain, running out of change LOL

 

Also card usuage has changed a bit too, just as many use their phones to pay as cards, a few use watches (although thats a pretty small number), im pretty new to contactless myself, always been a cash lover but now mostly moved over to contactless, but i still use card, NOT phone

Edited April 6, 2022 by melthebell

[altus]

4 minutes ago, melthebell said:

You can also ask for a receipt which can help see how much youve spent too, i work on admissions and a small gift shop and half the people dont want a receipt, half do (exactly so they know how much theyve spent), I ask every person if they want one.

It's still easier for people to know that if they go out with only £X cash, they won't be spending more than that.

[melthebell]

2 minutes ago, altus said:

It's still easier for people to know that if they go out with only £X cash, they won't be spending more than that.

Indeed, not denying theres no inherent risks with new technology, but sometimes some people are so blindly against something. as i stated, Like the Luddites, technology and progress marches on, theres always good points and bad points.