Cashless society

[JohnDe]

The banks may want a cashless society and the supermarkets also. But when the piece of plastic can't be used then watch the peasants revolt.
We had a minor meltdown recently when the supermarket where she shops had no card facilities working. When she got to the checkout, cash only.
First time in yonks she wasn't cashed up.
Left a weeks shopping in the trolley at the checkout, which included frozen and perishable items.
More than 1 did that that afternoon.

A similar thing happened to my wife yesterday, at the local grocery shop. Used her regular card, it didn't work, Tried the backup, didn't work. Went to pull out her cash supply and realised that Christmas presents had taken their toll. Called me in frustration, and I said try the business Visa. that worked.
My wife dropped the shopping off at home and went straight to the bank, to find a line up out the door. Social Security pay day, and minimal staff to deal with it. When she finally got to talk to someone from the bank, they check the card and found nothing wrong. A glitch.

 

[qldfrog]

There was a big Westpac outage/hacking attack yesterday

 

[JohnDe]

There was a big Westpac outage/hacking attack yesterday

That may have been the issue.

I received an email today -

Yesterday, 10,000 people reported issues accessing their Westpac Banking accounts after a Westpac outage resulted in difficulties for customers accessing online banking. This impacted customers’ ability to manage online banking, pay bills, and make purchases.​

With a link to sign a petition (i will read later today) -

Sign the Petition

An Australian cash and banking guarantee

www.change.org

Banks are deserting towns and suburbs and leaving Australians without ready access to cash and banking services.

Millions of Australian consumers and businesses trust and rely on cash for their everyday needs and for budgeting purposes. Even Australians that don’t attend banks or use cash regularly need access to face-to-face banking services and physical money sometimes.

Without a guarantee of access to full banking services and physical cash and a guaranteed right to use cash to buy food and essentials:

· Local economies are weaker and vulnerable to system outages.

· Many vulnerable people are effectively excluded from the economy.

· Businesses are harder to manage.






We call for an Australian Banking and Cash Guarantee that includes these rights:



1) All Australians must be able to have reasonable local access to cash and full banking services.

2) All Australians must be able to choose cash when paying for food and essentials at physical retailers.






No Australian town, suburb or community should be left without reasonable local access to full banking services and physical notes and coins. Every Australian must be able to use cash to buy food and groceries if they choose.



We call for an Australian right to access banking and use cash to buy essentials in our local communities, towns and suburbs.

 

[qldfrog]

That may have been the issue.

I received an email today -

Yesterday, 10,000 people reported issues accessing their Westpac Banking accounts after a Westpac outage resulted in difficulties for customers accessing online banking. This impacted customers’ ability to manage online banking, pay bills, and make purchases.​

With a link to sign a petition (i will read later today) -

Sign the Petition

An Australian cash and banking guarantee

www.change.org

Banks are deserting towns and suburbs and leaving Australians without ready access to cash and banking services.

Millions of Australian consumers and businesses trust and rely on cash for their everyday needs and for budgeting purposes. Even Australians that don’t attend banks or use cash regularly need access to face-to-face banking services and physical money sometimes.

Without a guarantee of access to full banking services and physical cash and a guaranteed right to use cash to buy food and essentials:

· Local economies are weaker and vulnerable to system outages.

· Many vulnerable people are effectively excluded from the economy.

· Businesses are harder to manage.



View attachment 166710


We call for an Australian Banking and Cash Guarantee that includes these rights:



1) All Australians must be able to have reasonable local access to cash and full banking services.

2) All Australians must be able to choose cash when paying for food and essentials at physical retailers.





View attachment 166711
No Australian town, suburb or community should be left without reasonable local access to full banking services and physical notes and coins. Every Australian must be able to use cash to buy food and groceries if they choose.



We call for an Australian right to access banking and use cash to buy essentials in our local communities, towns and suburbs.

The real issue is the disappearance of ATM in many smaller towns ..
In case of outage even localised on one bank or system, you can not even physically get cash unless driving far away ..

 

[macca]

Six days without the Telstra network operating

I realise it is only a small town but it can happen anywhere at any time, as Optus has shown

<<A faulty part has been blamed by Telstra for a service blackout in a northern New South Wales community that has left businesses and residents stranded without reception for a sixth day.>>

Anger as six-day Telstra outage forces businesses to close and residents to stock up on Optus sim cards

Telstra apologises after a faulty part leaves business owners and residents in a north west NSW town in a service blackout.

www.abc.net.au

 

[farmerge]

With the banks closing off branches Bendigo is looking a goer for us. It is the only bank left in close proximity to us. Either a trip to Midland or Northam. Not to rapped in either.

 

[Craton]

Third day of 40ish temps with more to come.
No doubt due to the extreme weather (wind and heat) we have a mobile data/phone outage here locally. Been well over an hour now.
The internet (NBN) is still alive hence I can login here but if that goes down, no mobile network backup.

Have already received several "no comms" call outs but no can do until the network is up again. So how long before more "critical" infrastructure fails?
Yeah, rhetorical...

Just an aside though. I do wonder how much power energy and water is being used to keep things cool and alive. Places additional stress not only on the "stuff" we rely on but us too.

FWIW, currently 42C and blowing a hot gusty and stormy NNW of 50kph. Great excuse to keep the fluids up, especially with a Friday frothy or two...

 

[wayneL]

With the banks closing off branches Bendigo is looking a goer for us. It is the only bank left in close proximity to us. Either a trip to Midland or Northam. Not to rapped in either.

Mundaring has a branch too.

 

[Craton]

Telstra Mobile service still out... restoration time due 09:30hr tomorrow morning.
As mentioned previously, at least the NBN is online. You know, so I can annoy you lot, lol...

Bad time for the outage to happened being Friday. It's 18:30 and temp. is 41C so I reckon those fothies would be really hitting the spot.

Must be bad for quite a few businesses here too e.g., the Comm Bank shut it's doors early due to this outage. Luckily, we have cold hard cash on standby and not just for a rainy day meaning so we could still trade.
With NBN still alive we can use WiFi for EFTPOS and mobile phones via WiFi Calling, that's has been a huge help both at work and at home.

Anyways, enough jibber jabber, that ice cold Cooper's Extra Stout is screaming at me. Can you hear it?
Drink me, drink me, drink meee.......

 

[JohnDe]

Telstra Mobile service still out... restoration time due 09:30hr tomorrow morning.
As mentioned previously, at least the NBN is online. You know, so I can annoy you lot, lol...

Bad time for the outage to happened being Friday. It's 18:30 and temp. is 41C so I reckon those fothies would be really hitting the spot.

Must be bad for quite a few businesses here too e.g., the Comm Bank shut it's doors early due to this outage. Luckily, we have cold hard cash on standby and not just for a rainy day meaning so we could still trade.
With NBN still alive we can use WiFi for EFTPOS and mobile phones via WiFi Calling, that's has been a huge help both at work and at home.

Anyways, enough jibber jabber, that ice cold Cooper's Extra Stout is screaming at me. Can you hear it?
Drink me, drink me, drink meee.......


View attachment 166888

Traveling in the country this evening, stopped at a petrol stations to top up the tank and grab a coffee and noticed that quite a few people paying with cash, as did I.

Took this old girl for a run.

 

[farmerge]

Mundaring has a branch too.

True She who is never wrong banks there. Just our farm and businees accounts are at Midland.

 

[Value Collector]

That may have been the issue.

I received an email today -

Yesterday, 10,000 people reported issues accessing their Westpac Banking accounts after a Westpac outage resulted in difficulties for customers accessing online banking. This impacted customers’ ability to manage online banking, pay bills, and make purchases.​

With a link to sign a petition (i will read later today) -

Sign the Petition

An Australian cash and banking guarantee

www.change.org

Banks are deserting towns and suburbs and leaving Australians without ready access to cash and banking services.

Millions of Australian consumers and businesses trust and rely on cash for their everyday needs and for budgeting purposes. Even Australians that don’t attend banks or use cash regularly need access to face-to-face banking services and physical money sometimes.

Without a guarantee of access to full banking services and physical cash and a guaranteed right to use cash to buy food and essentials:

· Local economies are weaker and vulnerable to system outages.

· Many vulnerable people are effectively excluded from the economy.

· Businesses are harder to manage.



View attachment 166710


We call for an Australian Banking and Cash Guarantee that includes these rights:



1) All Australians must be able to have reasonable local access to cash and full banking services.

2) All Australians must be able to choose cash when paying for food and essentials at physical retailers.





View attachment 166711
No Australian town, suburb or community should be left without reasonable local access to full banking services and physical notes and coins. Every Australian must be able to use cash to buy food and groceries if they choose.



We call for an Australian right to access banking and use cash to buy essentials in our local communities, towns and suburbs.

Cash transactions are dying, just have to get used to it.

 

[Belli]

Cash transactions are dying, just have to get used to it.

True. Technology is being readily adopted by those in my generation (70 yo+) too - at least in Canberra. Quite a number no longer have debit cards and use digital wallets to pay for their purchases. I haven't gone that far as yet as I'm extremely careless with my phone; leave it in the side pocket of my car, forget I've done that and find it a couple of days later or place it somewhere in the garage if I'm doing work in there. Plus I have a tendency to put it on Mute as the sound of notifications annoy the s*** out of me.

 

[moXJO]

Cash transactions are dying, just have to get used to it.

Too dangerous for that. There's been multiple times that cashless simply doesn't work. Each outage is a reminder of the serious risk of economic damage from an attack.

 

[Belli]

Given

Cash Use and Attitudes in Australia | Bulletin – June 2023

The 2022 Consumer Payments Survey reveals that the ongoing decline in cash use in Australia has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.rba.gov.au

in conjunction with

https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/cyber-security/strategy/2023-2030-australian-cyber-security-strategy

I'd hazard a guess, cash will be used less and less over the coming years.

The use of technology, and improvements in technology, for financial transactions will not cease. I, and many others, may not like it but I consider the transition to cashless has an inevitability about it. I could be wrong of course.

 

[Value Collector]

Too dangerous for that. There's been multiple times that cashless simply doesn't work. Each outage is a reminder of the serious risk of economic damage from an attack.

Either way, it’s the future, back up systems will just have to be installed, trying to go against it is like trying to swim against a rip in my opinion, it’s over it’s happening already.

Workers at most shops now seem shocked when you pull out cash.

I reckon the next thing to die is physical credit cards, more and more people just use their phone.

 

[Dona Ferentes]

I reckon the next thing to die is physical credit cards, more and more people just use their phone.

I'm with @Belli and haven't move over to sole use of "the device" (it's hardly a phone any more).

I'll adapt when I want to, but still keep a travel card, a debit/ credit card and cash (and bank accounts with several providers). This way , i stay informed of inflows, outflows and balances . A product of thrift and long term behaviours.

 

[divs4ever]

Either way, it’s the future, back up systems will just have to be installed, trying to go against it is like trying to swim against a rip in my opinion, it’s over it’s happening already.

Workers at most shops now seem shocked when you pull out cash.

I reckon the next thing to die is physical credit cards, more and more people just use their phone.

look for a surge in 'skimming and phone cloning ' and other ways of misusing another's phone data ( including just plain mugging the owner )

i was in a computer club around 2007 and several members were working on ways to protect their phone ( and credit card ) data , VERY eye-opening the vulnerabilities exposed and then reduced even back then

by the way swimming against the current often stops you from tumbling over a waterfall ( or caught in the rapids )

 

[Belli]

I am amazed but not surprised when a claim is made "It will never happen." Although I consider it is wrong I do understand the resistance to the change.

Currently most financial institutions have implemented 2FA, and in Macquarie's case its own authenticator, just to access your account. With Macquarie its applicator is required if you wish to do a transaction. A number of share registries now also require 2FA or Google Authenticator and even though in the share registry itself, if you wish to do an amendment to a holding and the value of that holding is $200k or more, you need to register your phone so a 2FA can be sent.

Did anybody who is a member of this forum declare say five years ago let alone 10 or 20 years past that would never happen?

Statements to the effect swimming against the tide will stop you going over the waterfall in respect of the move to digital payments rapidly evolving are simply crap and quite frankly dumb.

 

[farmerge]

Cash transactions are dying, just have to get used to it.

Hmmmm I wonder about cash transactions dying. Just been paid in folding. A few thousand.