Dirty Money: How clean are cash, cards and coins?
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Everyday we’re handling payments. Be it in the form of cashMoney in physical form such as banknotes and coins. More, cards or coins; from paying for our groceries at the cashierInitially, the person who is responsible for the safe, its opening and closing, and the contents that are safeguarded inside it. Nowadays, at a central bank, the person who is responsible for matters related to the treasury and cash. Their signature would usually appear alongside others on the banknotes issued by the bank. More to handing spare changeThis is the action by which certain banknotes and/or coins are exchanged for the same amount in banknotes/coins of a different face value, or unit value. See Exchange. More to street buskers – our fingers, at one point or another, will come in contact with them. But do you ever wonder exactly what you’re getting your hands on? Student Loan Refinancing company LendEDU did and they tell us exactly how.
Using a scientific device that tests for the amount of germs on a given surface, the LendEDU team tested just how dirty cash, debit/credit cards and coins are. Their research found that:
- On average, credit cards tend to be dirtier than debit cards with the former recording an average germ score of 314 while the latter at 243.
- After testing 27 different bills, the average germ score for cash turned out to be 160.
- On average, US$5 bills were the dirtiest, with an average germ score of 216 while US$100 bills were the cleanest carrying 76 as a score.
- Testing out 12 different US dollarMonetary unit of the United States of America, and a number of other countries e.g. Australia, Canada and New Zealand. More coins, the average germ score for one was 136 – making it the cleanest of all average paymentA transfer of funds which discharges an obligation on the part of a payer vis-à-vis a payee. More forms.
- US dimes turned out to be the dirtiest type of coinA coin is a small, flat, round piece of metal alloy (or combination of metals) used primarily as legal tender. Issued by government, they are standardised in weight and composition and are produced at ‘mints’. More, while US quarters were the cleanest.
Based on the overall results, debit and credit cards turned out to be the dirtiest payment methodSee Payment instrument. More. Interestingly enough, a 2014 Europe-wide MasterCard study found two thirds of people think touching or using moneyFrom the Latin word moneta, nickname that was given by Romans to the goddess Juno because there was a minting workshop next to her temple. Money is any item that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular region, country or socio-economic context. Its onset dates back to the origins of humanity and its physical representation has taken on very varied forms until the appearance of metal coins. The banknote, a typical representati... More is unhygienic, but only one in five Europeans wash their hands after coming in contact with it.
It’s highly unlikely that our paying habits will change dramatically anytime soon. But it goes without being said that practicing good hygiene could – and, well, should be changed accordingly. Find a more detailed report by LendEDU and check out their informative infographic here.
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