Consumers

Numerous protests and petitions are calling for better access to and acceptance of cash worldwide. Could they reverse the decline in access to cash and help maintain its infrastructure?

In his new book, Sacha Zackariya (CEO of ChangeGroup) argues that cash is vital as the preferred payment instrument of international tourists and the retailers serving them.

New York City passed a cashless ban in February 2020 to protect the right of consumers to pay in cash, including those from unbanked households.

Consumer research shows that cash payments are firmly rooted in French society. Cash is an enabler of social connections and is the preferred form of payment at small shops and for charity.

Over 75% of the Dutch population expect to use cash in 5 years’ time but 42% expect to do so less often, according to a survey commissioned by the Dutch Central Bank.

Big and small retailers around the UK have made a public commitment to accept cash as a method of payment by signing up to the Which? Cash Friendly pledge. Meanwhile, banks commit to supporting access to cash.

Santander and Prosegur Cash launch an in-store digital cash management solution in Spain that pays cash directly into bank accounts and saves companies time with cash management.

A year after the Covid-19 pandemic spread globally, there is more data available to determine its impact on the use of cash in U.S. retail payments. The public has not stopped using cash, but some retailers have stopped accepting it altogether, threatening the economic well-being of large, vulnerable segments of U.S. consumers who use cash as their main means of payment.

A recent report from the Colombian retail trade federation shed light on whether the public’s use of cash declined after the Covid-19 pandemic. The results are clear: cash is still the favourite means of payment for Colombian consumers.

As cash payments have been declining during the pandemic, due to reduced economic activity and a shift towards online and contactless payments, consumers and citizens are increasingly calling for the right to access cash and its acceptance for payments.

Age UK is deeply concerned that the headlong rush towards a cashless society is leaving some older people unable to pay their way. It joins a growing number of associations around the globe calling for universal access to cash.

Groups representing the currency, ATM, transportation and security sectors call on governments, central banks, media, business and society to stand up for cash.