I haven't used my card in an ATM machine for 6 months

[Ginger Yellow]

In the beforetimes, I encountered more no-cash businesses than cash-only ones. At least in the last couple of years.

[ad hoc]

I have never knowingly encountered a no cash business

Here you can now use cards nearly everywhere, even in the corner shop down the road (2 years ago it was nearly the opposite). However quite a few places occasionally have times when "the card reader isn't working" (which usually means in truth "we'd like to hide today's transactions from the tax office")

[Ginger Yellow]

It's mostly been pop-up restaurants/streetfood market stalls. Those Square card reader things are ubiquitous, and sometimes the only option.

[WOM]

I've told this story before...but here, only 50% of card readers take tap. The ones that don't have 'No Tap' stuck on them with paper or post-it. So, I went into one store that had NO TAP taped to it, and the guy said "Go ahead and tap" and I said "But the note..." and he said "No, that's for me from this side... TAP ON". And I waited for the 'gotcha' to come...but he was serious.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I left money in the ATM again last week — third time in the past few years, and I've only used it a handful of times since Covid. Fortunately the young bloke using the machine when I ran back to the bank had put it aside. Phew! Aging is a bastard.

[Sporting]

I ran back to the bank had put it aside. Phew! Aging is a bastard

At least you can still run.

[Incandenza]

It's mostly been pop-up restaurants/streetfood market stalls. Those Square card reader things are ubiquitous, and sometimes the only option.

There are some restaurant chains here now that are explicitly card-only. I really dislike that, because I don't like being told how I have to pay. Plus it's basically a "poors not wanted" policy, which I also find gross.

[Sporting]

There are some restaurant chains here now that are explicitly card-only. I really dislike that, because I don't like being told how I have to pay. Plus it's basically a "poors not wanted" policy, which I also find gross.

This

[DCI Harry Batt]

Not if you're a cash-only rent boy.

I'm not sure if I'm missing something here. I hope so.

[WOM]

I really dislike that, because I don't like being told how I have to pay.

Not taking a poke, but do you feel the same way about the 'cash only' places you had mentioned previously?

[WOM]

I'm not sure if I'm missing something here. I hope so.

A male escort who would usually be paid in cash.

[WOM]

Sorry...it was dashed off quickly.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Right. So no it doesn't seem like I'm missing something. That's pretty poor, tbh.

[WOM]

Appreciate the feedback.

[Incandenza]

Not taking a poke, but do you feel the same way about the 'cash only' places you had mentioned previously?

sure, it's a bit annoying, but it's not that difficult to get some cash, and it's less exclusionary.

[caja-dglh]

Right. So no it doesn't seem like I'm missing something. That's pretty poor, tbh.

withdrawn

[Amor de Cosmos]

it's not that difficult to get some cash, and it's less exclusionary.

Well, not necessarily. For instance if you're a visitor to a country where you don't speak the language and, possibly, understand the currency it could be argued a card is less exclusionary.

[Incandenza]

Well, not necessarily. For instance if you're a visitor to a country where you don't speak the language and, possibly, understand the currency it could be argued a card is less exclusionary.

That's a good point.

[WOM]

It's weird how quickly you seem like an anachronistic old man with twenties in your wallet. Cards even seem weird when you see people frequently paying by phone or watch.

[ursus arctos]

If anyone wants to visit a place where cash is still common and tapping very much is not, I can recommend this here Manhattan.

On Amor's inclusion point, that would depend on the prevalence of cards in one's home country and, perhaps more importantly, the compatibility of payment systems, which very much cannot be taken for granted (and can be especially difficult to navigate without any familiarity with the language).

[Amor de Cosmos]

that would depend on the prevalence of cards in one's home country and, perhaps more importantly, the compatibility of payment systems, which very much cannot be taken for granted (and can be especially difficult to navigate without any familiarity with the language).

I'm probably being naive but aren't Visa and MasterCard the same everywhere?

[ursus arctos]

Chip and PIN is not at all universal, and that's before one gets to overseas transaction charges and limits

[WOM]

Most confusing for me is the almost-simultaneous push for Chip and PIN, for security, and Tap, with virtually no security whatsoever.

[Capybara]

Most confusing for me is the almost-simultaneous push for Chip and PIN, for security, and Tap, with virtually no security whatsoever.

I don't know about Canada, but in the UK there is a limit on how much you can pay for by tapping. In the UK they raised the limit once the pandemic started but I think it was ?30 previously. If you only pay by tapping then every so often you will be asked to enter a PIN anyway so, basically, if you steal a card there are only so many transactions you can make before you have to provide a PIN. I guess the banks have decided that they want people to use cards as much as possible and that there is a certain amount they are prepared to lose through fraudulent activity to enable this to happen.

[ursus arctos]

I think that reflects short term thinking on the part of the card issuers and perhaps some form of cross subsidy from tap providers. I would expect it to change as fraudsters adapt.