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Cashless Adoption Growing In Europe

dkatana writes: Many European cities are moving toward a cashless economy. Some public services are not accepting cash anymore, such as parking meters, buses and transit, and city offices. (If you plan to visit Europe make sure your credit card has a chip, or you won't be able to use self-service machines.) Contactless cards, which allow people to pay easily for small transactions, are also gaining popularity. According to Finextra, a leading financial news service, "contactless is the new normal in Europe, with more than a billion tap-and-go purchases worth €12.6 billion on Visa cards in the last 12 months." In some places, cashless options are being pushed by mistrust of the banking system. At the same time, places like Germany are dead set on keeping cash as the preferred method of payment.

14 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. Don't worry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Cash isn't going anywhere. As soon as the lights go out or the servers are down... you can only can with cash.

  2. The. ignorance is strong in this one. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here is a tip: if you don't trust banks, keep cash. Ask the Greeks and Cypriots why.

    1. Re:The. ignorance is strong in this one. by ArcadeMan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If the stores you go to accept Bitcoin in the first place.

  3. Privacy Issues by Needs2BeSaid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Governments everywhere will help facilitate a cashless society. Just think of all that purchasing data they can monitor. Not to mention, they can force people to pay local/state/federal sales tax on person-to-person sales (e.g.: Garage Sale items).

    A truly cashless society is the wet dream of the IRS, FBI, NSA ....

    --
    Some things need to be said...
    1. Re:Privacy Issues by roman_mir · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Actually a truly cashless society is the wet dream of every government and central banker since inflation is the most insidious and powerful tax that can be implemented without participation of any IRS and of any citizen whatsoever.

      You don't even have to make a tax payment to be taxed with inflation and government doesn't have to bother pretending to have some kind of fiscal policy. The only policy of a 'cashless society' is printing money and the result of that policy is destruction of that society via destruction of its economy.

  4. Bingo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A cashless society is a surveillance society where every purchase you make is recorded permanently -- not only for government to use against you as they see fit, but for corporations to exploit your lack of privacy for their own profit (not yours).

  5. Cash Please by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I use a cc for some purchases.
    I NEVER use a debit card...

    Since the Target debacle, and many more like it, I have transitioned back to using cash almost exclusively.
    It appears to me that a cashless system is less robust and more likely to be taken advantage of by criminals.
    So yes, cashless apologists will whine about things like bank robberies, etc, but when it comes to what is best for me, not the bank, I choose cash please.

    --
    We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
  6. Re:Europe has also had wire transfers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why does transferring money in the US take more than a minute

    Because banks have to manage millions of transfers and sort them in the correct order to ensure the maximum number of bounced checks.

  7. Re:Europe has also had wire transfers by dave420 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It costs money to send money from one bank account to another? Jesus Christ. I don't even...

  8. Re:Foreshadowing by disposable60 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's unnecessary what with advances in facial-recognition software and ubiquitous video surveillance.

    --
    You're looking for quotes? See my journal.
  9. and either way, the banks win by Khashishi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Whether cash or credit, it's all controlled by a cartel of banks.

  10. Re:and? by aristotle-dude · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I personally almost never carry cash any more, the only time I really use cash is when out drinking or going to a really tiny corner shop/off licence where they still charge extra to pay by card. I use an oyster card for my public transport (or my debit card if I'm out of credit), and pay for most my small purchases using contact less, I can pay for parking by phone, and I still have a debit and credit card for anything bigger.

    Why would I pay for any high value goods in cash, when I can put it on my credit card, get chargeback protection and still not pay any interest on it?

    You are proud of being dependent on the system? If there is a a power outage or if the debit system goes down, good luck getting anything without cash.

    I recall being at a movie theatre lining up to purchase tickets for a popular title when the debit system went down in the area. Fortunately, I had cash so I was able to get into the theatre and see the film while all of the "winners" with only debit and credit cards got to go home.

    Do not bother calling yourself an adult if you do not carry around enough cash in case of an emergency or just simply to pay for really small purchases.

    --
    Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
  11. Always pay cash! It's anonymous and you control it by ciaran2014 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Cash transactions aren't linked to your name and stored in a database forever, and the cash in your pocket can't be deactivated by banks or a government.

    (Yes, some smart Alec will point out ways to track and block bank notes, but this is waaaaaaaaay more difficult and waaaaaaaaaaaay less effective than what banks and governments can do to electronic money.)

    --
    Help build the anti-software-patent wiki
  12. Re:Bingo, Retards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is cash REALLY that fucking HARD for you guys?
    I mean, fuck, SERIOUSLY, can you not just stuff a few bills and coins in your pocket like EVERY SINGLE MOTHERFUCKER SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME HAS DONE?
    What the fuck.
    All you're doing is giving up your privacy, giving up more of your LIFE and PERSON to be BOUGHT SOLD and CONTROLLED by THE MAN.
    All you people demanding "cashless" are just a bunch of STUPID fucking SHEEPLE.
    Fuck you, and fuck the GOVT and CORP TEAT you all are sucking on.
    Grow some balls and become independant, not dependant.
    Fucktards.