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Cashless society

@bsnews Happy for you that cashless is your thing. Not for Me or She though. We are contractors and not working from a shop so going to the bank for whatever reason is incorporated into the shopping whenever that is done.
 

I've only been in business for 15 years, and I have no issue taking any form of payment.

Up until a few years ago I was banking weekly, it didn't bother me, I enjoyed getting out and having a break, also got some satisfaction from handling big wads of cash.

Now I bank once a month, electronic transactions has become the dominant form of payment. Cash is about 20% of all payments.

I have customers that ask if we take cash, they appear a bit embarrassed about it. I remind them that cash is still legal tender and we accept all forms of payment that involves money transferring to the business. The smile on their faces is worth bottling.

My business employs 5 people, revenue is quite high.

Send any cash that you can't be bothered banking my way
 
It has nothing to do with being bothered. It has to do with the cost now of handling cash. I also have people asking if they can use cash and in this business cash would never be refused but it's horses for courses, cash could never not be taken. I employee 4 people and I have to bank daily due to cash flow, when I have to wait sometimes up the 45 minutes in a bank queue to obtain change that is a cost I am not happy to pay.
 

You must be handling many hundreds of thousands of dollars more than I, because there is no added cost to my business with the handling of cash.

The labour to count the cash is part of the working week. My bank branch is very efficient, the longest that I have been in the bank is 15 minutes, but lets say it is 20 minutes, it is a drop in the ocean compared to the stress of the eftpos or internet going down. And as I mentioned, I only bank at best once each month these days.

If you are banking daily your business is one of the few that still has a majority turnover of cash, there are not many like that anymore. Which doesn't make sense to me. If the majority of your customers are paying with cash, requiring you to bank daily, why would you want to kill the goose?

Up until a few years ago I was banking weekly, now I bank every 4 to 8 weeks depending on how much cash and bills have accumulated. The cash is stored in a secure lock box until I decide it is time to bank. Cash went from 80% of turnover to 20% at best.

No one seems to take into account the cost and time of electronic banking; electricity, paper rolls, time for the transaction especially when it is a phone transaction or trouble with the card, issues with the the banking systems or EFTPOS, Internet, etc.

Both have their benefits and drawbacks, which changes with the size of the business.
 
Comparing one business experience to another is in some ways pointless.
A retail business (say a milk bar or cafe) will have hundreds of small transactions a day.
Two blokes who work as subbies on building sites will have maybe one per week.
The experiences with any sort of payments, cash vouchers, EFTPOS or via monthly accounts will be entirely different.
Mick
 

Who is comparing businesses?

We're comparing cash and banking experiences.
 
Looks like cash will be here a lot longer than the doomsayers want -

The RBA says Australians made 30.2 million ATM withdrawals in January – the highest number in 12 months, and more than $9 billion was taken out, the largest amount since mid-2020.
This cash comeback was “quite a spike”, said RateCity research director Sally Tindall.
“The statistics show how popular cash is among many Australians,” she said.
Ms Tindall said many banks had been reducing ATMs and branches, with some removing cash withdrawals from some shopfronts, but she expected cash to circulate for decades.
“Cash is on the decline but we are still taking $9bn out of cash ATMs a month,” she said.
Cultures and traditions continued around cash, and parents still enjoyed using it to teach their children money basics, Ms Tindall said.
“When technology fails, and we have seen that time and time again, cash is a fantastic and very reliable backup,” she said.
“It’s nostalgia and there is a level of practicality – it helps people feel safe.
“In time cash may disappear completely, but the trajectory is a lot longer than some people may have you think.”

 
A cashless society is almost like comparing KFC refresher towels in a scientific experiment to see how long they last without falling apart.
 
Really enjoying reading the various pros and cons about the Cashless realm.

One thing that I'd like to point out is the amount of dollars, numbered in the billions, yes with a B, lost to card scams and fraud.

As per the ABS and in ABC article posted 20 Mar 2024, reads in part:

Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal details of ‘sizeable’ increase in card fraud as Australians lose $2.2 billion in 2023​

Lots to glean from the stats, including:
“The other thing interesting is who’s most at risk of card fraud,” he said.


“It tends to be older people, 35-64 year olds, those in a married relationship, and those in a higher income bracket.
I'm in agreeance with:
“Personally I think it’s going to be the number of cards you’re holding that increases your likelihood of card fraud.”

On a personal note, I had lunch with a work collegue (a fellow director) at a local club yesterday. Arriving at the bar at the same time, being served at the same time, collegue paid via iPhone, I paid with cash.
Collegue was still trying to pay via the iPhone long after I'd found a table for the two of us.

Whilst relaxing and seated, sipping on my paid for by cash beverage, I watched this quirk in the matrix unfold with quiet amusement.

After some head scratching and looks of puzzlement on both sides, including redoing the transaction more than once and restarting of said iPhone, the sub $5 payment finally "went through."

After joining me at the table, my collegue was in no hurry to proceed to the food ordering counter to again, take out the iPhone for use in payment.
"Would you like me to lend you some cash?" I quibbed.

When we did order our food, paying by iPhone was still the slower option. Unlock phone, double check Bluetooth is on, open up the banking app, unlock the banking app, place phone on EFTPOS terminal, wait for the transaction to be approved, obtain receipt and then, stop stressing.

Me, I paid with the exact amount in cash, $15 member price for one of the special's. Super fast, super easy, no stress...

Now don't get me wrong, cashless has it's uses e.g., BPay and the like, but allow me to say this in good fun. Ah the joys of cashless...
 
I received notification from a bank that in June there will be a new Govt regulation that states that no credit card can be used for gambling.

So that means that all gambling must be paid for in cash, putting Lotto in is going to be chaos for the first few weeks, pity the poor newsagents.

It also highlights just how invasive our Govt has become, if we are to ban gambling via CCs then it would imply that alcohol and Cigarettes must be next, as they do far more damage to society than gambling

I would also expect junk food to follow, this would need to be labelled or supermarket chaos would ensue, can I put rolled oats on my credit card ? What about fruit loops? Coca Cola?

An invasion of privacy and a nightmare for retailers just to satisfy smug, weak willed Know all, Know nothing ego maniacs
 
Does that include debit cards?
 
@macca Last sentence. I would prefer near on useless bum polishers, trying to justify their existence,
 
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