Don't kill cash - the campaign by GB News

[lostandfound]

Went to a Sainsbury's today. About as busy as it usually is on a Saturday. Most people have cash just in case, and chip and pin still worked.

Storm in a teacup. Of course the Luddites will drone on and on, but they are still irrelevant dinosaurs.

[puntingking]

Went to a Sainsbury's today. About as busy as it usually is on a Saturday. Most people have cash just in case, and chip and pin still worked.

Storm in a teacup. Of course the Luddites will drone on and on, but they are still irrelevant dinosaurs.

sky news did a ten minute segment on this story. 

[lostandfound]

sky news did a ten minute segment on this story. 

Oh wow! Did they really? That's incredible!!! OMG!!!!

[Darren101]

Yeah, it wasn’t that bad.  A bit annoying at best as a lot of ppl needed help in front at sepf checkouts.  Cards did work for some, and of course, cash was still an option.

The cancellation of all delivery orders might be annoying for those affected though.

In terms of money for Sainsburys, that will amount to millions in loss revenue

[Adoniron]

Went to a Sainsbury's today. About as busy as it usually is on a Saturday. Most people have cash just in case, and chip and pin still worked.

Storm in a teacup. Of course the Luddites will drone on and on, but they are still irrelevant dinosaurs.

It's a good job people had the option to use cash then isn't it?

[lostandfound]

It's a good job people had the option to use cash then isn't it?

Yeah, mass starvation and riots in the streets only narrowly avoided. OMG!!!

[Adoniron]

Yeah, mass starvation and riots in the streets only narrowly avoided. OMG!!!

You are being flippant. What if for example a massive cyber attack took the whole electronic payments system for days? The economy would grind to a halt. People wouldn't be able to buy food. There may well be looting.

Like most people I usually pay electronically but I would like to retain the option of paying in cash if I want to. What's wrong with that?

[daviemac]

You are being flippant. What if for example a massive cyber attack took the whole electronic payments system for days? The economy would grind to a halt. People wouldn't be able to buy food. There may well be looting.

Like most people I usually pay electronically but I would like to retain the option of paying in cash if I want to. What's wrong with that?

If the whole electronic system was down how would you get your cash out of the bank? 

[elnukky]

If the whole electronic system was down how would you get your cash out of the bank? 

You have a point. Maybe we should retain a portion of our wealth under our mattresses for such an eventuality.

[David1970]

You are being flippant. What if for example a massive cyber attack took the whole electronic payments system for days? The economy would grind to a halt. People wouldn't be able to buy food. There may well be looting.

Grow your own food, keep a supply in your bunker, remember to wear your tinfoil hat.

[lostandfound]

You are being flippant. What if for example a massive cyber attack took the whole electronic payments system for days? The economy would grind to a halt. People wouldn't be able to buy food. There may well be looting.

Like most people I usually pay electronically but I would like to retain the option of paying in cash if I want to. What's wrong with that?

This was a Sainsbury problem, not a problem with the whole EPS system. A case of human error, not a systemic EPS problem. Someone in Sainsbury made a bad decision and I'm sure lessons will be learned so that a repeat will be even less likely.

There were plenty of other supermarkets nearby so I went to another and bought some groceries with a wave of my phone.

The possibility of cyber attack on the EPS is so much talked about that so many precautions are being taken against it that something else would probably be a greater threat.

It would be very hard to take down the entire electronic payments system. It is run on IBM mainframes each with 40 terabytes of RAM with many layers of resilience including geoplexing - ie multiple copies of the system at different secure locations. Those mainframes are even immune to interference from cosmic rays.

In the case of Sainsbury I read in the press of disruption and wanted to check it out for myself. At my local susperstore there was printed signage and a group of staff ready to help at the entrance - noone was speaking to them because I guess noone was having problems - the place was otherwise as normal with the aisles thronged with shoppers.

I never go out without a tiny flat wallet as a backup, even though I pay for everything with a wave of my phone. Yesterday I checked the wallet - couldn't remember if there was any cash in there as it's so long since I looked - but there was indeed a wad of tens and twenties.

Couldn't be bothered with cash and Sainsbury's Nectar prices were also down, so I went elsewhere. Plenty of other supermarkets all working as usual.

[Adoniron]

If the whole electronic system was down how would you get your cash out of the bank? 

I usually have £100 in my wallet ( for emergencies, not for punting purposes 🤣).

[PilotMan]

Grow your own food, keep a supply in your bunker, remember to wear your tinfoil hat.

I'm going to grow my own fruit and veg, I have a plentiful supply of free manure. I'm fitting a huge solar array with batteries, so should be self sufficient in energy. I have a river bordering me, so I'll draw water from that, I just need to build a mini purification plant.

While I'm digging my bunker, I'll also dig a cess pit and a trap to stop the Soviet tanks. I've got a shotgun and hunting bow for the infantry.

Other than cash for emergencies under my mattress, what else do I need ? 

[RedKettle]

I'm going to grow my own fruit and veg, I have a plentiful supply of free manure. I'm fitting a huge solar array with batteries, so should be self sufficient in energy. I have a river bordering me, so I'll draw water from that, I just need to build a mini purification plant.

While I'm digging my bunker, I'll also dig a cess pit and a trap to stop the Soviet tanks. I've got a shotgun and hunting bow for the infantry.

Other than cash for emergencies under my mattress, what else do I need ? 

Barrage Ballons in case of air attack - or do you fly your own interceptor? 

[David1970]

I'm going to grow my own fruit and veg, I have a plentiful supply of free manure. I'm fitting a huge solar array with batteries, so should be self sufficient in energy. I have a river bordering me, so I'll draw water from that, I just need to build a mini purification plant.

While I'm digging my bunker, I'll also dig a cess pit and a trap to stop the Soviet tanks. I've got a shotgun and hunting bow for the infantry.

Other than cash for emergencies under my mattress, what else do I need ? 

Foil hat is a must.

[Doc Holliday]

Other than cash for emergencies under my mattress, what else do I need ? 

Carrier pigeons to send your posts to UKpunting?

[PilotMan]

Barrage Ballons in case of air attack - or do you fly your own interceptor? 

Good point.

I'll look in to some sort of Anti Air attack system, with a rotating turret 

I'll put a layer of Bacofoil over my motorbike crash helmet.

[puntingking]

External Link/Members Only


more bank closures announced.

I feel sorry for those people who rely on one of the branches that will be closing down this month. 

[daviemac]

External Link/Members Only


more bank closures announced.

I feel sorry for those people who rely on one of the branches that will be closing down this month. 

They can still get cash out of ATMs and if they need to deposit cash they can do so at a post office, so cash will still be widely available no need for branches.

[petermisc]

They can still get cash out of ATMs and if they need to deposit cash they can do so at a post office, so cash will still be widely available no need for branches.

Unfortunately when a branch closes, its ATMs usually go too.  Used to have about half a dozen ATMs where I live, but now almost all the bank branches have closed we are down to just two locations.  Not unusual for one to be OOA, sometimes both.

[daviemac]

Unfortunately when a branch closes, its ATMs usually go too.  Used to have about half a dozen ATMs where I live, but now almost all the bank branches have closed we are down to just two locations.  Not unusual for one to be OOA, sometimes both.

There's free to use ATMs all over the place, my local group of shops used to have a bank branch and it's ATM went when it closed but there's still one at the Sainsbury's local shop and another at the general dealer with the post office in. There are no stand alone post offices in my local area but there are more shops with a post office section than there has ever been bank branches and all have ATMs and the facility to pay in cash.

[PilotMan]

The need for ATM's is also reducing as people aren't using cash anywhere near as much as they were (me included), it's plain old "supply and demand". Other than for punting, I don't use cash now.

However, finding a Cashpoint can be a PITA when you need punting tokens though  .

I was in Soho on Tuesday and I walked around for a good ten minutes without finding one. I tried searching Google "find a cash point near me" and it was a few minutes walk away in the opposite direction. I messaged the SP and fortunately, she agreed to a bank transfer. That's the second time it's happened to me in recent weeks, but both times the SP took a bank transfer. I appreciate for obvious reasons that doesn't work for all punters.

I don't think anyone is killing cash, it's just that the times are changing and it's no longer a necessity.



When was the last time that you (i.e. anyone on here) HAD to use cash, other than for punting?

[PumpDump]

The need for ATM's is also reducing as people aren't using cash anywhere near as much as they were (me included), it's plain old "supply and demand". Other than for punting, I don't use cash now.

However, finding a Cashpoint can be a PITA when you need punting tokens though  .

I was in Soho on Tuesday and I walked around for a good ten minutes without finding one. I tried searching Google "find a cash point near me" and it was a few minutes walk away in the opposite direction. I messaged the SP and fortunately, she agreed to a bank transfer. That's the second time it's happened to me in recent weeks, but both times the SP took a bank transfer. I appreciate for obvious reasons that doesn't work for all punters.

I don't think anyone is killing cash, it's just that the times are changing and it's no longer a necessity.



When was the last time that you (i.e. anyone on here) HAD to use cash, other than for punting?

It is in the bank's interest, of course they want to kill cash. They get a cut of every single transaction and they don't have the expense of maintaining and stocking ATM machines.

My window cleaner is coming later today, I will pay him £40 cash. If he insisted on card payment he would get £39.40 and the bank 60p. All those 60p add up. How to boost profits, kill cash as quickly as possible.

[RedKettle]

It is in the bank's interest, of course they want to kill cash. They get a cut of every single transaction and they don't have the expense of maintaining and stocking ATM machines.

My window cleaner is coming later today, I will pay him £40 cash. If he insisted on card payment he would get £39.40 and the bank 60p. All those 60p add up. How to boost profits, kill cash as quickly as possible.

Even if it is better for the banks if cash goes, and by the way I do not accept that, there is no grand conspiracy by them to get rid of it.  The change is being led by us the public.  Like many other people I find using Apple Pay (or similar) fantastic and would hate to go back to cash, even using a credit card now seems old fashioned.  I use cash for punting and that is about all - well plus parking in the few places that have not yet caught up with the times to get ringo or similar. 

If people want to continue using cash that is fine, and for some on a low budget it is an easier way to go.  However you cannot expect the same infrastruture behind it as when the whole population was mainly using cash.

[PumpDump]

Even if it is better for the banks if cash goes, and by the way I do not accept that, there is no grand conspiracy by them to get rid of it.  The change is being led by us the public.  Like many other people I find using Apple Pay (or similar) fantastic and would hate to go back to cash, even using a credit card now seems old fashioned.  I use cash for punting and that is about all - well plus parking in the few places that have not yet caught up with the times to get ringo or similar. 

If people want to continue using cash that is fine, and for some on a low budget it is an easier way to go.  However you cannot expect the same infrastruture behind it as when the whole population was mainly using cash.

You might be happy without cash, but you don't speak for everyone else in the country. There should be some infrastructure kept. If the Post Office can maintain so many post boxes, the banks should at least keep one ATM running per busy high street. The high street closest to me had 5 banks but all of them closed since Covid, the last of them closed last month. I always saw people at the ATMs, now none remain. Well except for the one at the local shop which used to be free, now it is £1.99 per withdrawal. The nearest bank is not within walking distance, about 20 - 30 mins away by bus in heavy traffic.

By the way, if you don't think the banks want to get rid of cash and are not actively pushing people towards cashless, then you don't understand how companies are run and how profit is king. More cashless = more profit.

[David1970]

It is in the bank's interest, of course they want to kill cash. They get a cut of every single transaction and they don't have the expense of maintaining and stocking ATM machines.

My window cleaner is coming later today, I will pay him £40 cash. If he insisted on card payment he would get £39.40 and the bank 60p. All those 60p add up. How to boost profits, kill cash as quickly as possible.

Your window cleaner will pay more in bank charges if you give him cash, be nice to him and pay by card or bank transfer.

[PilotMan]

It is in the bank's interest, of course they want to kill cash. They get a cut of every single transaction and they don't have the expense of maintaining and stocking ATM machines.

My window cleaner is coming later today, I will pay him £40 cash. If he insisted on card payment he would get £39.40 and the bank 60p. All those 60p add up. How to boost profits, kill cash as quickly as possible.

I can't believe your spouting this nonsense again. Banks charge you for depositing cash too. There's no real financial benefit for him, unless he isn't declaring his income and is a tax dodger.

You are just forcing him to carry cash around, which he may not want to do.



Also this is utter nonsense.....I think you've been reading too many of those conspiracy theories 

I for one am making an extra effort to use cash more often. One of the main reasons being with electronic transactions the banks are taking a cut from every single transaction, which is immoral. If you take an example of £100, the bank takes 0.15% each time it is spent. So when you buy something from a retailer for £100, the retailer gets £99.85, the bank keeps 15p. Might not seem a big deal, but it all adds up, and by the time it has been "transacted" two hundred times, it is now only worth £75 with the bank haven taken the other £25. If you take it to it's logical conclusion, eventually the bank will own the entire £100. If those 200 transactions had taken place with cash, the bank would have got none of it.

If it were true with what you are saying then the Government would end up with all of our money, because nearly every time we spend something the government takes 20% VAT.

Going by your logic after 5 transactions the government would have all the money 

You need to read economics 101 to get a better understanding of how money and profits work.

[PilotMan]

Your window cleaner will pay more in bank charges if you give him cash, be nice to him and pay by card or bank transfer.

You beat me to it 

[PilotMan]

By the way, if you don't think the banks want to get rid of cash and are not actively pushing people towards cashless, then you don't understand how companies are run and how profit is king. More cashless = more profit.

I think it is you who needs to get an understanding of how not only companies are run, but the general economy too.

[PumpDump]

Your window cleaner will pay more in bank charges if you give him cash, be nice to him and pay by card or bank transfer.

He's a guy who walk around from house to house with his ladder on a bike. I doubt the cash ever sees a bank account, he probably uses the cash to buy his groceries.

[PumpDump]

I can't believe your spouting this nonsense again. Banks charge you for depositing cash too.

No they don't. I've never been charged for depositing cash. If your bank charges you for this maybe you should consider moving.

You are just forcing him to carry cash around, which he may not want to do.

How am I forcing him to carry cash? He gave me the price, I handed him cash. No complaints from him.

[David1970]

He's a guy who walk around from house to house with his ladder on a bike. I doubt the cash ever sees a bank account, he probably uses the cash to buy his groceries.

That’s the problem with cash, tax dodgers just pocket it, while expect others to pay for all the things governments do.
Don’t encourage leaching tax dodgers, do what I do and transfer the money on line.

[David1970]

No they don't. I've never been charged for depositing cash. If your bank charges you for this maybe you should consider moving.

How am I forcing him to carry cash? He gave me the price, I handed him cash. No complaints from him.

All banks charge for business, in fact cash is charged at a higher rate than cards.

[PilotMan]

No they don't. I've never been charged for depositing cash. If your bank charges you for this maybe you should consider moving.

For personal accounts they don't usually charge, but for business they do.

Unless you're transferring money to a friend, then practically everything you spend will be with a business, including the cash you pay to your window cleaner.

[PilotMan]

That’s the problem with cash, tax dodgers just pocket it, while expect others to pay for all the things governments do.
Don’t encourage leaching tax dodgers, do what I do and transfer the money on line.

My thoughts too.

[RedKettle]

By the way, if you don't think the banks want to get rid of cash and are not actively pushing people towards cashless, then you don't understand how companies are run and how profit is king. More cashless = more profit.

That gave me a laugh.

I am going to say with a high degree of certainty that I have run more and bigger companies than you and that my understanding of business is way more. 

Just as a starter the very well known quote that you are alluding to actually ends “cash is king” which is ironic!  Although it means cash flow in the bank not notes in your pocket.


You are struggling to understand the dynamic here, people are choosing not to use cash and that includes many small businesses who no longer accept cash.  That includes my window cleaner who we have to pay by bank transfer.

The banks are not part of some grand conspiracy, they are responding to the market.

[puntingking]

As with most discussions about topics such as this the truth is somewhere in the middle. But i am against cashless and by the same token i am also against cash only services also. I believe in freedom to choose. If those that want to pay via card or cash then they should be able to.

I am against our current law which allows a business to only accept one form of payments. I believe all forms of payment shpuld business accept without preferring one method over the other.
So in a nutshell : all payments should remain and no cashless services or cash only services.

[puntingking]

Theres a belief that those types of business who only except phisical cash must be doing something dodgy but as i notice many business after lockdown decided to only except cash as a result of many big busineses that went card only. Some business see this as a way to protest and/or to protect phisical cash.

[TallnHung]

I did hear that the mayor of london banned tommy robinson from entering all london boroughs.
Whether you agree or disagree with any person views, that is quite scary to be honest.

Even if your story was right which it isnt, I have no problem banning a cunt like Yaxley Lennon, no I dont mind and not at all scared people like him get banned.
Apply it to every fucking lunatic that wants to stir the shit and build tension and the world would be a much nicer place.

There is a place for protest, it all used to happen quite nicely, lately the world has gone to ratshit and its people like him who stir the pot for their own benefit thats made it that way.

[puntingking]

Even if your story was right which it isnt, I have no problem banning a cunt like Yaxley Lennon, no I dont mind and not at all scared people like him get banned.
Apply it to every fucking lunatic that wants to stir the shit and build tension and the world would be a much nicer place.

There is a place for protest, it all used to happen quite nicely, lately the world has gone to ratshit and its people like him who stir the pot for their own benefit thats made it that way.

I would think your in the minority of that view.
Maybe you will feel right at home with the chinese, russian or north korea system.

Well until they ban you from entering a area atleast.

[PilotMan]

As with most discussions about topics such as this the truth is somewhere in the middle. But i am against cashless and by the same token i am also against cash only services also. I believe in freedom to choose. If those that want to pay via card or cash then they should be able to.

I am against our current law which allows a business to only accept one form of payments. I believe all forms of payment shpuld business accept without preferring one method over the other.
So in a nutshell : all payments should remain and no cashless services or cash only services.

So what you want is a law that dictates to businesses what payments they must accept and accept your preference.

But a business cannot assert a preference of how they want payment,  and have to accept what you want.

That sounds like double standards to me.

[PilotMan]

I would think your in the minority of that view.
Maybe you will feel right at home with the chinese, russian or north korea system.

Well until they ban you from entering a area atleast.

We have freedom of speech, unlike those countries, but we just don't allow hate speech.

[PilotMan]

Theres a belief that those types of business who only except phisical cash must be doing something dodgy but as i notice many business after lockdown decided to only except cash as a result of many big busineses that went card only. Some business see this as a way to protest and/or to protect phisical cash.

A cash only business is behind the times.

I have a really good Fish and Chip shop not far from me. They only accept cash. I go there a lot less now, because it means I have to go to the cash point first,  and then I end up with a pocket of coins in change.

The last time I went was several weeks ago, I still have the change sitting on my desk.

[PilotMan]

I pay my window cleaner by Direct Debit and gardener by bank transfer.

They both send me their invoices after they finish.

If they insisted on cash it would be inconvenient for me, because I would have to drive a couple of miles to the cash point and be there when they do the work.

They only reason I can see that a trade person would insist on cash, is if they were evading tax.

[puntingking]

So what you want is a law that dictates to businesses what payments they must accept and accept your preference.

But a business cannot assert a preference of how they want payment,  and have to accept what you want.

That sounds like double standards to me.

they would accept all kinds of payment thus no one is left out (in my world) . I did not say only to accept my preference but accept every payment option.

if you don't agree with that: then you would be unknowingly discriminating against the elderly, the disabled, the not so tech savvy and also those people who choose not to have a bank account for whatever reason. 

[puntingking]

So what you want is a law that dictates to businesses what payments they must accept and accept your preference.

But a business cannot assert a preference of how they want payment,  and have to accept what you want.

That sounds like double standards to me.

the government dictates alot anyway so if you see this as dictating then one more law that dictates won't hurt anyway. It is also dictating that we are banning smoking, banning cars that are too old or not climate friendly (ULEZ).
there are a lot of things that as a country we over regulate, ban and control.

[puntingking]

I pay my window cleaner by Direct Debit and gardener by bank transfer.

They both send me their invoices after they finish.

If they insisted on cash it would be inconvenient for me, because I would have to drive a couple of miles to the cash point and be there when they do the work.

They only reason I can see that a trade person would insist on cash, is if they were evading tax.

for privacy, sex workers, sex workers customers, to budget, to teach kids how to add and use money. Only a few reasons... 

[PilotMan]

they would accept all kinds of payment thus no one is left out (in my world) . I did not say only to accept my preference but accept every payment option.

if you don't agree with that: then you would be unknowingly discriminating against the elderly, the disabled, the not so tech savvy and also those people who choose not to have a bank account for whatever reason. 

Tell me if I've got this right then?

You're saying a business would have to accept cash, even if they didn't want to because it was inconvenient for them.

[puntingking]

Tell me if I've got this right then?

You're saying a business would have to accept cash, even if they didn't want to because it was inconvenient for them.

No, I am saying if i was running things they would have to accept both methods of paying (cash and card)

[puntingking]

A cash only business is behind the times.

I have a really good Fish and Chip shop not far from me. They only accept cash. I go there a lot less now, because it means I have to go to the cash point first,  and then I end up with a pocket of coins in change.

The last time I went was several weeks ago, I still have the change sitting on my desk.

That is annoying. A donation box would work for businesses. The pennies will soon add up for a nice charitable cause.