Supermarket giant Aldi has been accused of ageism as its new self-checkouts only accept cards and not cash.
The new self-serve tills have only been rolled out in Australia, where customers of a particular age range are heavily criticising it
Elderly shoppers say the change has left them feeling “disappointed” after they found the machines wouldn't accept cash payments - only card.
One woman in her 70s took to Facebook to share her disappointment.
She said: “I love Aldi but today I was very disappointed - our local has just installed self checkouts - which I am happy to use.
“I went prepared but - only card - no cash. Come on Aldi, that is ageism!
"I am 70+ and I use cash, so do most of my generation. It is not often I am disappointed by Aldi.”
Another woman in Australia shared her thoughts on the new self-serve tills on Twitter, saying the issue lies in a lack of accessibility.
She said: “It's a question of accessibility more than ageism. The self-checkout counters of my local supermarket take cash as well as cards.
“Many folks sometimes prefer using cash over a card. It's also a question of equity; not everyone has a credit or debit card.”
Other shoppers disagreed with claims that the move was "ageist" against older shoppers.
One woman said: “I don’t personally know anyone since Covid that is using cash anymore.
“Everyone I know is using their watch or phone to pay. I haven’t used cash at all in over 2 years.
“If you don’t like it, you can choose to use the register with a person and use cash. Nothing ‘ageist’ about it.”
While another Facebook user added: “It's about a choice.
“What if they told you you could only use cash? Would you have the same 'get over it' attitude?
Speaking to the Daily Mail, an Aldi spokesperson said: “Self-serve checkouts are a quick and convenient way for customers to shop, and all Aldi self-serve checkouts are card only to maximise efficiencies.
“If a customer prefers to use cash, our regular checkouts are always available.”
The Mirror has contacted Aldi Australia for comment as well.
Aldi is expected to roll out new self-checkout tills across its UK stores, with one branch in Dover already confirming its plans to do so.
