For many of us cash has always been something we have used. But when lockdown hit many firms shied away from handling the currency and asked customers to use card only.
And even though the coronavirus restrictions are long gone, the use of cash is struggling to make a comeback. Now a business has asked people to pay with cash warning: "Use it or lose it".
Only Fools and Sauces in Hartlepool has posted on its Facebook page that from now on cash is "the preferential" way they way people to pay for their food orders. And they gave a detailed explanation why.
They wrote: "From now on cash is the preferential payment method I won’t turn you away but where possible please please try and bring cash. Reasons are below this made loads of sense.
"Why should we pay cash everywhere with banknotes instead of a card? I have a £20 banknote in my pocket. Going to The Mill House Inn and paying for a round with it.
"The Mill House Inn then uses the notel to pay for the breakfast at only food and sauces. The owner then uses the note to pay the barber.
"The barber will then use the note for shopping. After an unlimited number of payments, it will still remain a £20 value, which has fulfilled its purpose to everyone who used it for payment and the bank has jumped dry from every cash payment transaction made.
"But if I come to a pub and pay digitally via Card, the bank fees for my payment transaction charged to the seller are 3%, so around £0.50 - and so will be the fee for each further payment transaction - for the owner re cafe - or payments of the owner of the cafe - or payments of the barber etc.....
"Therefore, after 30 transactions, the initial £20 will exist at only £2.50 and the remaining £17.50 has become the property of the bank … thanks to all of the digital transactions and fees!
"Use it or lose it folks. Once it’s gone we won’t get it back!"
Followers agreed with the post. Phillip Robinson warned: "Unfortunately by 2030 we will become a cashless society, really sad really . CASH IS MOST DEFINITELY KING."
The eatery is one of a number of businesses making the same plea. Hair Genie in Blackhall, County Durham said: "I like all of my customers to pay cash if they can..... I don't want to become a cashless society and the banks certainly do not need more of my hard earned cash!"
Strathleven Deli in Dumbarton also urged customers to think about how they paid for goods and services. And many of its followers agreed with their Facebook post with Joy Doogan warning: "Once we lose cash we lose our freedom, we need to keep cash…"
