There are around 2.2million people who are almost entirely dependent on cash to live their lives. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. every time we withdraw money from an ATM, or each time a business deposits cash at its bank – the provider of the infrastructure gets paid. This new £60,000 BMW iX3 electric SUV has a soundtrack written by composer Hans Zimmer: Will it hit the right note with drivers? Banknotes, coins, purses, pockets and wallets are mostly contaminated by bugs associated with people failing to wash their hands properly after going to the toilet, researchers at London Metropolitan University showed. They can refuse any payment method or require any method. Let's get a grip and treat these stories with a pinch of salt. Sweden's central bank forecasts the country could be cashless within a decade; others suggest it may be much sooner. They don't take cash. It can be cash, or credit, or debit (as in, funds in a bank), check (again, funds in a bank)...so many things. explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. There is no law against a business refusing to accept cash for goods and services or only accepting cash for goods and services. “They are likely to use informal services, which are more open to being exploited.” The distribution networks are run by commercial organisations who will make decisions based on their own commercial interests. Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has warned shoppers that shops can refuse to accept cash as payment - and has said that they are not breaking the law. If you're someone who can't or won't use digital payment – for many reasons – you can be left excluded from many parts of society. Richard Miller, Addlestone, UK As ever in the UK this is somewhat muddy - and my advice is to check with your solicitor. If the 'transaction' is instantaneous then anyone selling anything can refuse. However, if the creditor enforces the debt by filing a civil complaint in court to recover damages from breach of contract, it is unlikely that the creditor would prevail. Our. The issue is not just that cash is difficult to get, but that even if you have it, it can be difficult to spend. I opened a BA Amex to earn a free flight voucher: I've now cancelled the £195 credit card - have I lost the reward too? Would you shrug your shoulders and use a card, or be irritated that someone else had decided how you should pay? It is the poster child of a 'cashless society', with only 15 per cent of Sweden's payments currently made using cash. in the UK you can refuse to take fake money, but you cannot take it off the person and go to the police with it. Last year, debit card payments overtook cash as the main way we pay for things, according to banking trade body UK Finance. Our energy supplier went under days after I switched for a better deal - but I was £100 in credit: Will I automatically get money back? If … And critically, do we want to leave people behind? Halifax will pay off the mortgage of 10 customers next month in a prize draw: What do you need to do to take part? The contactless revolution is taking over but we'll regret... Meet the woman behind the most seen signature in Britain: We... Summer holidays abroad could be back on the table - so what are the best debit and credit cards to beat overseas fees? He was asked whether businesses are breaking any rules by only accepting card payments during the Covid-19 pandemic, Want the latest news sent to your inbox daily? Pros and cons of refusing cash They have to take my cash! We now use contactless cards to pay for one in seven of all transactions and even the Church of England now accept donations by contactless in many churches. The entire UK cash infrastructure costs around £5billion each year. I can understand a business not wanting to make change for a $100 dollar bill on a $5 dollar footlong, but can they legally refuse? This new £60,000 BMW iX3 electric SUV has a soundtrack... Would a 'wealth tax' work in Britain and could it help pay off the Covid-19 debt. Fewer transactions means less income for the commercial providers running this infrastructure. If they decide it's no longer commercially viable to undertake that activity, then cash in circulation could simply stop. Downsides to Avoiding Cash. But most of us have at some time been met with puzzled looks and a refusal when we’ve proffered a Royal Bank of Scotland … Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law that says otherwise. To be excluded from certain activities? "You are allowed to take card only as long as it's not discriminatory for race or disability or something.". Experts fear there may be … That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. Unless there is a state or local law prohibiting it, businesses are entirely within their legal right to turn down cash payments and claims to the contrary are false. "And with the closures of ATMs and bank branches that will be useful. 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Just as many retailers refuse to accept cheques or £50 notes, there is nothing to stop them from not taking cash at all. A business would refuse it. Yes. As mentioned, there is no federal law that mandates private businesses to accept cash as a form of payment. Here's how you could boost sales and visibility during the pandemic and beyond, My mother is being moved to end of life care which is totally funded by the NHS: Is she still entitled to claim her state pension? Not everything is great for business that refuse to accept cash payments. Here, shops and transport accept payments through cards or via an app and only a small number of banks handle cash. In the last few weeks, since writing a column about Britain going cashless, I spotted the annual 'cash is filthy and full of germs' story that gets picked up by the press. As to whether it's time to switch to a cashless society, Martin had made an excellent point. These are vulnerable groups such as elderly people, the disabled and people in debt or with low incomes, or those who live in rural communities where digital payments simply don't work. Improving our national infrastructure with better broadband and innovative banking solutions will help include some. Many alternatives to cash … Martin Lewis has said that shops are within their rights to only allow card payments during the Covid-19 pandemic- and are not breaking the law by refusing to accept cash. As fewer consumers use cash, the economics supporting the provision of a cash infrastructure are under threat. "The legal tender thing is interesting," Martin said. Martin Lewis has settled the argument about whether shops are allowed to refuse cash payments on his ITV show But the use of cash has declined steeply in recent years, and it … The short answer: yes. Yes, they can. "No, they are not breaking any rules," he said. So when a business refuses to take cash payments, they are just refuses that method of payment. Steve Webb replies. Any business does have the right to refuse to provide a service, however, it’s important to ensure this is not discriminatory. Today, industry insider Natalie Ceeney, the former chief Financial Ombudsman and now independent chair of the Access to Cash Review, reveals how the death of cash could unfold... Cashless: The rise of contactless technology has been quick in recent years - could it soon be curtains for physical money? "In Scotland, no notes - neither Bank of Scotland nor Bank of England, are legal tender.". There is no law which says that business must accept cash money. “I know retailers can refuse to accept too many coins, but in my case, I didn’t even have the time to take the notes out of my purse.” Apparently, it is not illegal to refuse cash payment. 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