Cashless society

[SapphireBlue]

Do you think a cashless society is inevitable? My family still uses cash wherever possible. Not only does it reduce the risks of scams and fraud, which is the main concern, but there's also the idea that you're giving your privacy and (down the line) potential financial autonomy to governments (in the name of progress).
Do you think cash is still king or is cashless the way of the future? Is going cashless worth the convenience?
Here in Australia most places still accept cash but there is talk that it will be cashless in a few years.

[Tukaram]

Everything at your bank is already computerized, so the "control" will be there if they want. I do not worry about that.

I love the convenience of cashless, but here in the Philippines, many places still do not have dependable internet connection. Some countries will be there sooner than others.

[BigJohn]

A cashless society brings with it a lot of problems I don't think people realize. How it is implemented will make a lot of difference but even later on, the potential for abuse will still be there.

[SapphireBlue]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

A cashless society brings with it a lot of problems I don't think people realize. How it is implemented will make a lot of difference but even later on, the potential for abuse will still be there.

I agree. I don't think we should be forced to go cashless. Especially with Security breaches/hacking. Would we at some stage have to be responsible for our own security. Also heard some places have surcharges for going cashless which I'm not sure is regulated at present.
I like cashless sometimes but there are times I like to use cash as well.

[AngelBlue]

I think it's inevitable . As with anything over time things are phased out and new things brought in, but I think it will take a few more decades yet. Things have to be done slowly and gradually .
I think though that the younger generations are more accepting of this as each new generation grows up with so much technology that often they "know no different".
Older people struggle and in general we get set in our ways and don't like change .
I'm still trying to get my head round kilos instead of pounds and ounces LOL.

[SapphireBlue]

Originally Posted by AngelBlue

I think it's inevitable . As with anything over time things are phased out and new things brought in, but I think it will take a few more decades yet. Things have to be done slowly and gradually .
I think though that the younger generations are more accepting of this as each new generation grows up with so much technology that often they "know no different".
Older people struggle and in general we get set in our ways and don't like change .
I'm still trying to get my head round kilos instead of pounds and ounces LOL.

Yes so true. I think older generations really need the support so they aren't vulnerable to scams and ID fraud. Also remembering passwords.

LOL I'm the opposite, I grew up on grams, kilos/kilograms and centigrade instead of Fahrenheit (I always have to google the conversions with online recipes!).

[AngelBlue]

Haha, so I'm guessing if they s******* kilos and you had to deal with pounds and ounces you'd be a bit lost ?
Hah, but talking about cash the worst thing ever was decimalisation in the early 70's .
Talk about confusion and people trying to understand that . Even shopkeepers etc didn't have a clue.
It was a complete nightmare.
How do you explain to millions and millions of people that going from 240 pennies in the pound to a 100 pence in the pound is NOT robbing them LOLOL...
It's a wonder it didn't start a civil unrest !!

Oohhh, I didn't swear ! That should read s.w.o.p.p.e.d ...

[Sir Neil]

Yes, I think it’s inevitable, and I don’t believe that it’s any kind of conspiracy theory, it’s just that things always change over time. Money has always been a means of exchange, and we have had various forms of that over time. We used to pay soldiers in salt, and we also used to have cheques, but we don’t really have those any longer.

It has been mooted that it’s a conspiracy theory which the pandemic has brought about, so that governments can track us, but I don’t believe so. ‘They’ can track you using your mobile phone, nothing to do with cashless society. And even if governments used spending records to track us, they’d be tracking you doing what? Buying milk in Tescos? Buying Christmas gifts online? Etc. big deal.

In the UK alone, contactless transactions overtook cash transactions in 2019 (13.2 billion to 13.1 billion) before the pandemic and social distancing came in. And even then, once the restrictions were phased out, we were still free to choose between cash and contactless. Using cards hadn't been mandated.

[Podshell]

I don't see it as conspiracy but the oppurtunities it presents for the system to get more money out of us are vast,so it will look very conspirational.Some think using your card in store is free but the banks add about 14 different charges to the store for services which will then be added in price increase so we pay,I have just gone contactless,although I need to change this as its far easier for fraud/theft if card is lost or stolen,some rogue goes on a spending spree,boosting the economy and we foot the bill as the treasury apparently cover it via the banks insurance,that doesn't sound fair at all,please correct me if someone knows better,we pay for rogues to have field days whilst helping the economy.

[AngelBlue]

I don't think it's a conspiracy either.
But I'm all for copper going out of circulation.
It's pointless in today's society.