Do you use - Cash, Card or Both?

RoboRat

Plastic or Digital Card

I don't carry cash anymore - I don't need to, so I don't bother.

The Continental Op

Cash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263058#Comment_121263058

What associated handling charge is there for not paying cash into the bank and using it to pay for things? Maybe one charge to draw it out but then thats it you know you aren't going to be hit with anymore charges.

SodiumCooled

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263448#Comment_121263448

It's not really feasible for a business to use cash they receive to pay for things in any significant way aside from maybe a tradesman or similar. A pub can't pay diageo cash, a shop can't pay a wholesaler in cash, wages can't really be cash any more bar maybe a part-timer. The majory of cash a business takes in will be lodged even from a security aspect.

hynesie08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262432#Comment_121262432

It's 2023, Businesses aren't taking money out of the tills to pay for their shopping, the candlestick maker is lodging that money into his business account and being charged for it.

Lavinia

Just got an annual report on the banks fees

over 100 euro it is

it is ridiculous

will start to use more cash again

Sheep Shagger

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261476#Comment_121261476

Jesus....

Facthunt

Banks trying to close branches is a fear! Again another way of killing of community spirit.

Personally I’ve tried to use cash more where possible. Not all shops accept cash …. especially abroad! Amsterdam has some cashless shops!

lisasimpson

Both

Use a mixture of both. Certain things like big food shop, fuel I'll always use card. Don't like the idea of cashless. About 5 years ago I was at a wedding when the visa network went down. Was funny at the bar the amount of people that had ordered and couldn't pay. Running back to tables to ask had anyone cash on them. Similarly I popped into the local aldi on the way home from work one evening and card machines went down. I'd say only 2 of us continued our shop everyone else abandoned their trollies

Facthunt

Interesting stats so far …

around 10% use cash only, 54% card and 36% both ….

murpho999

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121260056#Comment_121260056

No, health insurers will not load your premium as health insurers have no access to your personal finances /bank statements,

This is all protected under GDPR rules and anything you say against that is just scaremongering.

Your point about gambling is where banks are reviewing your finances when applying for a mortgage/loan, as they are entitled to do, unlike health insurers, and strangely enough banks are not comfortable lending to people with gambling problems.

Wanderer78

Both

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121277929#Comment_121277929

...i beg to differ on that, many a dodgy deal has been done with banks!

murpho999

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278062#Comment_121278062

You're just spouting nonsense now without any facts to back it up.

Health companies cannot access your bank records as simple as that.

Irish banks are now also tightly regulated and there's not a hope any deal like you claim would be done.

NewbridgeIR

Both

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278062#Comment_121278062

What do you mean?

Facthunt

A lot of atm’s have started charging to take cash out!

Strumms

Both

I miss the days where the old saying often prevailed…. “ customer is king “

businesses, if they wanted your custom, your money, they’d do everything to make it as pleasant, convenient, good value and user friendly for the customer.

now us customers are being expected to make everything as convenient and user friendly as possible for businesses. 🤬 what do we get in return ? Nothing is cheaper, VERY much the opposite and customer service in many places now is about as fashionable as smoking a fag in an oil refinery..

in a way covid had a role to play there…. Buzz phrases like ‘essential services’ and the hero worship that the media and politicians were affording businesses…. Almost marketed them as on a par with healthcare workers, also beyond criticism and untouchable ….

many places since, still… “you will pay only with card / you will pay only at self service machines / you will only update your membership online…”. The ease and flexibility of getting stuff done as a consumer is less it’s decreasing.… card gets nicked, damaged, declined ? What then ?

Hippodrome Song Owl

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121260176#Comment_121260176

Well, for the fourth time in a row this weekend, my hairdresser was unable to accept card payments due to this long-standing technical issue. It's really starting to lack plausibility. The hassle of it is just irritating. At the same time, they must surely lose business if girls had booked appointments intending to put it on the credit card until pay day. So difficult to believe they would be doing this deliberately as some sort of tax swindle.

My hospital consultant, who only takes cash, is still the most annoying, though!

pgj2015

Cash

Do people not realize they can get better deals paying with cash? also by just using phone and card you are playing right into the banks hands, you will regret it when things go 100% cashless.

Victor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121389753#Comment_121389753

That depends. Paying with a credit card or asking a shop for finance is expensive. Paying with a debit card shouldn't be more expensive than bank notes - tax fraud aside.

pgj2015

Cash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121389798#Comment_121389798

Lots of businesses will give you a far better deal for cash and they will pick the cash customer over the card payer, as in they will come fix your oil cooker or heating system before someone wanting to pay them by card.

tikka16751

Johnny cash all the way. Lads will pay for tapping yet.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121390037#Comment_121390037

More likley you will pay a premium for paying cash in the future. Or be refused serivce at all, as it already the case in some places.

tikka16751

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121390088#Comment_121390088

Congratulations on winning next weekends lotto.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121390093#Comment_121390093

More and more places are moving to cashless. Thats been obvious for a while.

whisky_galore

Both

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121257135#Comment_121257135

Ffs. Everything's a bloody culture war now. Get over yourselves. What a weird thing to feel superior about.

OMG you drink milk from a cow? You monster! Let's fight!

lisasimpson

Both

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121390119#Comment_121390119

I think places that move to cash only will end up going back. I was shopping in Cork last wed and 2 shops I went into both passed comments about issues with cards from Permanent TSB. 2nd shop person in front of me abandoned their shopping. I don't think too many retail business could afford that in the long run

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121391570#Comment_121391570

That could be an issue with that bank, but most people have other cards on them or accounts on their phone.

I havent heard of any businesses that started as cashless moving back to cash.

There is also the security of not having cash on premises. No need to do bank runs, no cash to steal.

lisasimpson

Both

Last wk it was an issue with a particular bank but it can happen that the network can go down. Not everyone had multiple cards or revoult etc on their phones esp older people. Imagine if that was the case in the run up to Christmas. Business would be glad to take cash. Remember a good few years ago Visa network went down. Nothing to stop that happening again

Cash

Primarily cash for the few bits I buy that aren’t online. I would never not have cash either in my wallet or in my phone cover.

tvjunki

Both

I use cash most of the time but only use the card if I buy online. Banks are the only ones that win if you use the cards. They selling your buying patterns and they charge you to use your card.

I had to use my card last week in a shop and when I got the the till the card machine would not work. Not the nicest experience. I had to leave the electrical item as I did not have enough in cash. I rang the bank, 25 minutes later got through to find the chip in the card was faulty. I had to wait for the new card to arrive.

I noticed during covid lockdown many coffee shops/ docks where cards were only. I walked away and would go to a place that accepted cash.

That must cost the business large transaction fees for your one off coffee.

I know of a couple that relied solely on cards and they went for a mortgage. They were refused. I said to them to take cash out once a week and rely on that. On a night out bring cash as it is easy to loose track of what you spend on a night out. Same with shopping. The bank knows if you are frivolous with your money. Tap €4.50 coffee on the way to work, tap €10 sandwich and coffee in work then tap€7.00 coffee and sweets on the way home.

They changed to cash and they applied for a mortgage 6 months later and was approved.

The Government will track how you spend your money if we go card only. Also not everyone has a bank account.

Will continue to use cash as long as possible.

irelandrover

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392057#Comment_121392057

I know of a couple that relied solely on cards and they went for a mortgage. They were refused. I said to them to take cash out once a week and rely on that. On a night out bring cash as it is easy to loose track of what you spend on a night out. Same with shopping. The bank knows if you are frivolous with your money. Tap €4.50 coffee on the way to work, tap €10 sandwich and coffee in work then tap€7.00 coffee and sweets on the way home.

Did the couple continue spending their money so frivolously after changing to cash only or did they entirely clean up their spending practices for the 6 months?

Cordell

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121389838#Comment_121389838

Yes, but if they fix your cooker and then the fix fails (or even worse, it's a bad fix that causes more damage) would you have any comeback other than their goodwill? You have no proof they've been there. They have no proof they've been there for their insurance (if they have any).

lisasimpson

Both

That's what receipts are for. How did we manage before

Cordell

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392298#Comment_121392298

No no, when you're getting a better cash deal it implies no receipts because no tax and no VAT will be paid.

Strumms

Both

There isn’t a single business person in this country, who has said to themselves….

” god all the money we’ll save going cashless, less staff, cheaper insurance, cheaper security and saving on cash handling, we’ll be able to pass on some of that via cheaper pricing to our customers/clients “..

No business anywhere has considered that… they save more and make more. Zero customer benefits.

Cash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121390088#Comment_121390088

Not many retailers turn away customers, it tends to be counterproductive, and poor practice. I’ve read before about the cost of cash to businesses, risk of theft, even the cost of insurance for accepting cash. As a business owner who accepts cash, about the only issue is having to walk to the bank to lodge it, hardly a reason for refusing cash though. There are some banking costs, but I suspect the loss of business by refusing to take cash would exceed those costs, and I’m not sure why people worry about being robbed, the chances are negligible as is the insurance for handling/storing cash.

There will always be cash, even though the banks would much prefer there wasn’t, and people who prefer to use it. One bar owner said to me earlier this year that tap-and-pay was the best thing to ever happen his bar, people don’t even listen to the cost of the round, they just tap and go, whereas if they had cash in their pocket, they are more likely to limit the spend to that cash amount.

BrianD3

Have those sneering about people using cash and tinfoil hats forgotten about the government's 1GC proposal as described in the book referenced below, a proposal that was described by Saint Tony himself as horseh*te.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/load-of-horsese-dr-tony-holohans-reaction-to-government-plan-and-lack-of-trust-in-stephen-donnelly-on-pandemic-matters/41606011.html

"Meanwhile, the book also discloses details of a plan considered by government to develop a dystopian surveillance system using information CCTV, credit card transactions and mobile phone data to ensure people were adhering to social ­distancing rules.

Information from social media and banking data on takeaway habits was also to be collated and tracked under the strategy developed by consultancy firm EY.

What emerged was an almost Orwellian plan, bizarrely dubbed 1 Government Centre (1GC),” the book says.

The Government ultimately ditched the plan which Dr Holohan said was a “load of horses***e” in meetings."

I use card and cash but am trying to use cash more now. Most people seem to have embraced card, contactless and phone transactions but most people are lazy and stupid with short attention spans. There are also a lot of very insecure and financially illiterate people in Ireland who are desperate to conform and be seen to be "with it". Vested interests such as smartphone manufacturers and app developers then take advantage of this.

It's no surprise that people in other countries such as Germany are more sensible, less consumerist and prefer cash transactions.

I use technology but resent being bounced into doing so e.g. needing to have a smartphone and 2FA apps to buy online. The reason we need 2FA is because of lazy, stupid, idiots mindlessly tapping, scrolling and clicking on everything with their mouths hanging open "my card got hacked, what just happened?".

tvjunki

Both

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392174#Comment_121392174

I did ask them and they continued their spending but it was not obvious to the bank as they were not tapping 2/3 times a day and showing where they were spending their money.

tvjunki

Both

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392236#Comment_121392236

That is were you get a receipt. Just realised someone already answered this.

Cordell

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395228#Comment_121395228

No you don't, that's the idea behind the better cash deal, it's actually a no receipt no tax paid deal. That's the whole deal.

tvjunki

Both

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395235#Comment_121395235

You are assuming it is under the table type sale. Not all businesses work that way. When you pay in cash you pay the vat as well. You go into a supermarket then you pay in cash. If you get someone to repair an appliance then get a vat receipt. Thats it. I pay cash and I expect a receipt.

murpho999

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121392057#Comment_121392057

Sorry but banks do not sell your buying patterns. Your anecdotal stories all sound like rubbish too.

Firstly, a store can still process your payment if your card was faulty, as a card not present transaction.

Secondly, your story about advising a couple to stop buying coffees on cards sounds like total bull as banks look at your ability to repay and not what you buy, with the exception probably of gambling.

Last part about government is also total tin foil hat rubbish. What on earth would the government be tracking and why?

murpho999

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121391570#Comment_121391570

I was in shop last week and people abandoned shopping because the cash till drawer got stuck and they could only fit €2 coins in.

Yes, it never happened, just like your story above.

Macy0161

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395309#Comment_121395309

My local centra, they staff have no access to the money - it's essentially like a self service machine, where they feed in notes and spits out change. As much chance of tech problems with that as card machines imo.

People who are anti-card because of "big banks" may not like the conspiracy theory cap, but if it fits...

Cordell

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395242#Comment_121395242

You are assuming it is under the table type sale

Yes, that is my assumption, and also my limited experience with cash only deals. Why else would they give you a better deal?

murpho999

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395363#Comment_121395363

Yes, I have seen those tills as well and I'm guessing they'll become more commonplace too.

The argument about cards not working /losing sales is complete nonsense as a shop can't sell goods if tills, scanners, barcodes , electrictity etc is not working either.

Cash

Strange the way these types of threads become sniping between those who favour cash and those who favour cards. Seems obvious to most that best practice is to offer both payment methods and let the customer decide rather than limiting sales to one or the other.

Scipri0

Cash

I prefer to use cash, though i have my card on me just in case they only accept card. I use my card mostly only to buy online. I also value my privacy and don't like sharing my every purchase with the bank.

Greyfox

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395016#Comment_121395016

It's not laziness, it's just the simple fact that tapping is much quicker and saves the hassle of carrying small notes and coins, I'd rather embrace technology rather than have an irrational fear of it

murpho999

Plastic or Digital Card

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121395016#Comment_121395016

You do realise that was merely an "idea" that never went anywhere.

How on earth could bank records and take away details show details of people adhering to social distancing rules.

Article/book just sounds like total sensationalist nonsense.

Sumimasen

Both

The phrase "Cash is King" predates the prevalence of card based transactions, Revolut, Apple Pay etc, it refers to paying for something relatively large, like a used car or expensive white goods for example, off someone on the spot using readily available funds, rather than say arranging a loan or going away "to move a few things around and I'll come back to you later". In the latter case you lose a bit of bargaining power or face the risk that when you come back a week later the item is gone.

So in that sense cash is indeed king, not sure if "adequate bank balance is king" or similar would have the same ring to it, revolut is king maybe.