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Cashless Adoption Growing In Europe

Posted by Soulskill on from the all-about-the-virtual-benjamins dept.

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.

7 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. You shouldn't have to pay to adopt a kid by gurps_npc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just saying.... :D

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    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
    1. Re:You shouldn't have to pay to adopt a kid by weszz · · Score: 5, Interesting

      This is how I read it as well... I am adopting a daughter next week friday from foster care for something like $53 total, so was thinking of paying cash... (the $53 is court costs, birth certificate etc...)

      Was wondering if they went to a bartering scheme... I will give you 2 dogs for that child.

  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.

  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 ....

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    Some things need to be said...
  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. 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.

  6. Re:Don't worry by NotDrWho · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cash isn't going anywhere.

    Nonsense, I hear Greece has already adopted the cashless system in full.

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.