Another little step towards a cashless society.

[Deeps]

And if everyone does the same thing and shuns credit/card only shops then they won't have a choice but to keep it. the problem is that people are lazy and will use a card instead of going to a cash machine.
I know in Greece they get paid into the bank and take every penny out, as they know using cash is better for them, we should be doing the same.

I use cash , I don't use self service but with regards to cards I'm guilty as charged m'lud I do get payed in cash for a large chunk of my work , some cheques and some by bank transfers and it's that money I use for getting materials , I never actually handle it physically. I shouldn't really say this but the accountant that has helped with the books did say only to use cash for materials for jobs that I didn't want to declare .

I think this is the thin edge of the wedge that the government are trying to clamp down on, not having a go at you mate, I'm firmly of the opinion that if its good enough to 'fudge' for big business then its good enough for us but its why I think the whole tax system should be rationalised.

[grenfell]

Yes I know what you mean . It does make one wonder when an accountant tells me this. Going back a bit to when I was on the dole I was offered a New Enterprise scheme which basically allowed me to set up as self employed and to receive payments for six months while the business got going. As part of the scheme I had to produce a business plan and was allocated a mentor who I think was self employed herself and worked for the council business support section. She also told me exactly the same thing , only use cash for a job that doesn't go through the books and where I'm paid in cash. As it is my wife has become pretty savvy with our accounts and knows just what can be claimed for or set against tax so hiding jobs really hasn't been necessary . i have noticed that among some there is the argument that it's tax avoidance as opposed to tax evasion so it's "all ok".
I only became self employed out of necessity rather than choice and since I have looked at what I pay in tax against what I did when employed and really don't see how the country would ever run if we were all self employed.

[jansman]

We had a nice day at the seaside today.We went into a boozer for lunch.At the till was a hastily handwritten sign. CASH ONLY,card system not working,sorry for any inconvenience etc.

[grenfell]

Funny thing is though I say I use my card for buying materials the place I use for much of my stuff has normally "problems" with their card machines , only one step up from two baked bean tins and a piece of wet string. Perhaps I should stick with the cash there too.
One other thing , listening to the radio they were talking about the introduction of the new £10 note and they did say that 40% of high street transactions are still done with cash which compares with the 5% of all transactions I mentioned earlier. That 5% I think relates to all transactions which when they might be in the millions or billions probably wouldn't be as easy with cash , but the higher figure does give me comfort that we aren't going to lose cash in the near future . Unless of course TPTB bugger up the economy and it all becomes worthless bits of paper , or now plastic so even unusable as toilet paper.

[Plymtom]

I use for much of my stuff has normally "problems" with their card machines , only one step up from two baked bean tins and a piece of wet string.

My point and whole argument is not that the technology is useless, but that we are considering making it the only option, it comes back to greed every time and is sold as convenience, banks want us to use their machines like supermarkets want us to use self service tills, because they work out cheaper than real people, not thinking of the consequences of not having back ups or a complete pre existing system which works perfectly well 50 years from now when we are so dependent on machines and someone or something throws a spanner in the works, we will all be shuffling around like Spike Milligans comedy sketch going " What are we gonna do now?" Dropping cash and the systems to handle it ( largely people) is like un-learning to swim or something similar.

Another technological bug bearer of mine is Amazon online V Waterstones, they (same company) actually make it cheaper to buy a book online, completely ignoring the fact that people will go to the physical shop to browse the book before they buy it, it is not sensible to do away with tactile nor human contact, no matter how it works out convenient for those who cannot get to physical shops, new ways should not undercut them, reality with real people should be preserved!

[jansman]

Another element,as pointed out by Plymtom,is the push towards 'people-less' systems.In the search for ever more profit firms are doing away with humans; No,PEOPLE.How will we earn money,ultimately, to purchase goods from all the companies that have automated just about everything?

I refuse point blank,to use automated systems and even cash points.If I do not have enough readies,which is rare tbh,I use the counter in the bank.

[jansman]

Another push towards cashless systems

Credit and debit card surcharges to be banned
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40648641

Of course, this will not make anything cheaper, as the retailer still has to cover costs.

[peejay]

Another element,as pointed out by Plymtom,is the push towards 'people-less' systems.In the search for ever more profit firms are doing away with humans; No,PEOPLE.How will we earn money,ultimately, to purchase goods from all the companies that have automated just about everything?

I was discussing exactly this the other night whilst watching a news article about the latest robots (coffee shops I think it was!).

As you point out, once automation takes over most of what it can, fewer workers are required (or earning a wage) so with no money to spend, who's going to buy all the automatically-produced "stuff"?

I wonder what it would take to move to a "moneyless" society (e.g. Star Trek-like nirvana). I've imagined that it would take something like the discovery/invention of limitless energy for a start, but ironically whoever discovers/invents such a thing is likely to want/expect to make a packet out of it anyway!

[yorkshirewolf]

Another push towards cashless systems

Credit and debit card surcharges to be banned
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40648641

Of course, this will not make anything cheaper, as the retailer still has to cover costs.

I know a couple of people who have retail shops, and both have said they're thinking of doing away with the card machines, on many sales the bank charges can be the same as the net profit margin, so why bother doing the sale?

I wonder how many of these 'card machine out of order' signs are actually accurate, and how many are there to save on bank charges?

I know i've been in a few shops (including large supermarkets) when the machines have gone down, and not only have i had cash to pay and get out quickly, but i've seen the worrying the speed at which people become an angry mob and things start to get nasty, and this is over a weekly big-shop, not something life threatening like medication or water...

[Deeps]

I know i've been in a few shops (including large supermarkets) when the machines have gone down, and not only have i had cash to pay and get out quickly, but i've seen the worrying the speed at which people become an angry mob and things start to get nasty, and this is over a weekly big-shop, not something life threatening like medication or water...

Yup, always lime to have roughly enough to buy the messages, might have to put some of the vino back but as I stockpile that too, no biggy. The odd time I've run my 'back wallet' money down my missus is shocked. Its usually because of her its been run down in the first place.