In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

Card systems very seldom go down and it's a huge deal. They don't do any business while the systems are down.

As far as those people you mentioned go that's their call.

But when the card systems do go down, it would be a right pain in the neck.
They have problems more than you realise., certainly with contactless, the amount of people I see fiddling to get their cards in the right place, Lidl's terminals don't have the sensor where you think it would be, it is on the side of the terminal.

The thing is if all we rely on is cards and that sort of thing to pay and other technology and it goes belly up, you are stuffed.

I see it at work when scan and shop goes belly up, these people have scanned all their shopping, go to pay, and then they have take all their shopping out to put it through a normal checkout.

In reply to a post by tommy45:

You make a good point about the card payment system EPS in shops, Supermarkets in the event of a power cut are unable to operate even using cash, as they have stopped pricing products and opted for the barcode scanner, So during power cuts they have to close , shows how much they rely on tech without any backup , CONVENIENCE could be our downfall And this by tesco should never become normal>> tesco biometric payment plans

https://www.decisionmarketing.co.uk/news/face-off-te...

I did not know about that, not that I shop in Tescos very often, may go in there about twice a year if I am in town as it is in the city centre and I don't go there very often.

, biometric recognition software – which allow authentication based on physical characteristics – could lead to shorter queues, be more hygienic than tapping in a pin, and is significantly less vulnerable to fraud.

It is all to do with saving or making even more money to boost their large profits even more, and also more spying and tracking.


Co-op experimented with fingerprints a few years ago, it did not come to anything, I suppose now the technology is better, but I would not do it, I would refuse, just like I refuse to have a loyalty card. They are a waste of time.
Another reason why I should a lot at aldi these days, no self checkouts and no loyalty cards.

Technology is fine, but it doesn't work without power, and the generators in stores are there mainly to keep the fridges and freezers going. We can't even unload a lorry if we have a power cut unless the lorry have a tail lift. Saying that one of the lifts is connected to the generator, but we are told only use it if we really have to as the generator screams , and it is very slow going up when the mains is off.

I noticed the chip shop I go to now and again have we accept cards on their Window now, but it is not very large, so easily missed, but I still pay by cash there.

i am going to have a walk to B&M/home bargains and food warehouse,, need a bit of exercise. no selfscans in any of them

And yet, the world doesn't end when it happens.

There will be a point in the not too distant future where there aren't many shops that handle cash. You might not like contactless payment, but it will be the only option at some point.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

, biometric recognition software – which allow authentication based on physical characteristics – could lead to shorter queues, be more hygienic than tapping in a pin, and is significantly less vulnerable to fraud.

This all exists already, if you have the right phone/device.

For example the iPhone can use either facial recognition (or finger print for older ones) to unlock the wallet on the phone which enables you to pay with contactless. Without authentication someone can't use your iPhone to pay for stuff.

And the same applies to the Apple Watch, though in that case the facial recognition happens on the iPhone, when you first unlock the watch when you put it on.

99% of my retail payments are done on my watch, secure and basically instant to do (double click the button on the watch, hold to the reader).

There are other phones/devices that work similarly for the Apple averse.

In reply to a post by andynormancx:

There are other phones/devices that work similarly for the Apple averse.

And NatWest even trialling a plastic card (debit or credit, not sure) that had a fingerprint reader to confirm owner before it activated contactless feature.

Something like that would be good. I am painfully aware that though biometrically protected contactless on a phone is great, the minimum price for entry in the iPhone world is £419 for the iPhone SE (38 pence a day if you use it for three years and you can likely get an £80 trade in from Apple after three years if you look after it). There are no doubt cheaper options on the Android side.

Edited by andynormancx (Wed 10-Aug-22 14:22:20)

Countries like Sweden and Denmark are virtually 100% cashless and manage to run an ecomony

Personally im 100% cashless other than when i have to like some taxis

You can't force them to use cash. Just like you can't force them to serve you. Its their business

Its alot easier and cheaper for businesses to take card only payments (and small businesses need every little they can). Plus they wouldnt do it if people weren't willing to go paperless. Like it or not cash is dying

In reply to a post by bobble_bob:

Its alot easier and cheaper for businesses to take card only payments (and small businesses need every little they can). Plus they wouldnt do it if people weren't willing to go paperless. Like it or not cash is dying

Yes, I'm aware of the costs the banks charge businesses to deposit and handle cash have nearly doubled as the usage declines. This is I suspect the main reason smaller businesses (and most of the big brands we see are franchises, so actually small businesses) turning away cash. "autobanking" is cheaper the higher the volume, so if they can move everyone to card (debit/credit/prepay) then the shop knows the margin they are having to give the bank.

Even the self employed now have those devices that use a mobile phone for communication, so they can take cards, and Big Issue sales people.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I have walked out of a shop because they won't take cash.

I've seen a few people hit this problem, in one case a bloke without his wallet tried to pay in a coffee shop and they wouldn't take his £10 or £20 notes, so the person behind took the cash and paid on their card. Insane!

It is crazy, what the hell is happening? i thought the government was going to step in to stop this.