Author Topic: Is it the end of cash?  (Read 38291 times)

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #25 on: 31 July, 2020, 05:00:28 pm »

I use a network Railcard wallet from national rail. I pick up a few when I'm in the UK. They seem to work well. Very compact.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #26 on: 31 July, 2020, 05:08:53 pm »
I "dumped my wallet" at the start of lockdown in favour of this: https://www.cycleofgood.com/shop/gifts/wallets-and-purses/pocket-wallet/
which is good because:
It's made of old inner tubes; tough and cycley!
It's very slim and flat, good for a trouser or jersey pocket
Good cause etc

It wouldn't be any good for coins but you could keep banknotes in there.

Nice find Cudzo.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #27 on: 31 July, 2020, 05:42:49 pm »
They do more conventional wallets as well, and courier bags and lots of other stuff made of old inner tubes.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #28 on: 07 August, 2020, 05:27:47 pm »
I've had to handle cash a bit over the last couple of weeks, mainly on volly Fridays, and it took me a week or two to get used to the coinage again. I only made one mistake though; gave some a £2 coin in change by mistake for a £1.  ::-)

There is actually a serious point to this (otherwise it would just go in the Div thread). Notes are clearly marked with their denomination on both sides, but on coins it's much less clear. The markings are smaller, they tend to be one side only, and they're sometimes in numerals, sometimes in words. We really rely on familiarity to distinguish them.

Unfortunately the same problem can even apply to card payments. In certain lights or at some angles, the display on the payment terminal can be unclear.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #29 on: 07 August, 2020, 05:41:00 pm »
Pubs and butty shops love cash and I prefer using cash in independent businesses because the card processing fees are a larger chunk of their profits. Always use card in chain stops, they can afford the hit.

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #30 on: 07 August, 2020, 05:48:56 pm »
Definitely. And annoyingly the angle that most bar staff hold the reader out (probably combined with my height) means I can't read the amount at all and have to get them to tilt it.

It probably makes it look like I don't trust them but I'd rather know it was right.

Especially after a Christmas meal where a friend tried to pay contactless £2500 instead of £25! Obviously that didn't go through but a miskeyed (as it was this time) entry could easily turn £2.50 into £25 for example and that would go through.
Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #31 on: 07 August, 2020, 05:49:58 pm »
How is it the displays often have such a poor angle of view given that lots of other things are fine?

I know I know, they're no doubt cheaper.
Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #32 on: 07 August, 2020, 05:56:53 pm »
Pubs and butty shops love cash and I prefer using cash in independent businesses because the card processing fees are a larger chunk of their profits. Always use card in chain stops, they can afford the hit.
You'd think so, but the only shops I know which absolutely insist on card payments – I've seen them turn away customers who wanted to pay cash – are little, independent, single-shop places. Mind you, so are the ones which don't take cards. So I guess there's no strict rule relating size to preferred mode of payment.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #33 on: 07 August, 2020, 06:32:07 pm »
Card processing fees versus time taken to process cash

One is a % on turnover, one is a drain on time
It is simpler than it looks.

Davef

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #34 on: 07 August, 2020, 07:11:03 pm »
I think it has more to do with the HMRC than bank charges.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #35 on: 07 August, 2020, 07:24:30 pm »
Question for the folks au fait with Google Pay. Can you add a pre payment card (I'm thinking Pure, which I use cos I get money back) to it?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Wombat

  • Is it supposed to hurt this much?
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #36 on: 07 August, 2020, 07:29:04 pm »
Our nearest places (7.5 miles away), prefer contactless, even before Covid made it even more desirable.  Getting cash to the bank in rural areas is a costly pain in the bank balance.
Wombat

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #37 on: 07 August, 2020, 07:30:20 pm »
I've had to handle cash a bit over the last couple of weeks, mainly on volly Fridays, and it took me a week or two to get used to the coinage again. I only made one mistake though; gave some a £2 coin in change by mistake for a £1.  ::-)

There is actually a serious point to this (otherwise it would just go in the Div thread). Notes are clearly marked with their denomination on both sides, but on coins it's much less clear. The markings are smaller, they tend to be one side only, and they're sometimes in numerals, sometimes in words. We really rely on familiarity to distinguish them.

Unfortunately the same problem can even apply to card payments. In certain lights or at some angles, the display on the payment terminal can be unclear.

I cannot even read the card machine now that it sits tantalisingly out of my focal range behind a slab of plastic.

I have to stand there with my thick reading glasses checking the receipt before I leave the shop now.  It is a small inconvenience.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #38 on: 07 August, 2020, 07:41:33 pm »
I've had to handle cash a bit over the last couple of weeks, mainly on volly Fridays, and it took me a week or two to get used to the coinage again. I only made one mistake though; gave some a £2 coin in change by mistake for a £1.  ::-)

There is actually a serious point to this (otherwise it would just go in the Div thread). Notes are clearly marked with their denomination on both sides, but on coins it's much less clear. The markings are smaller, they tend to be one side only, and they're sometimes in numerals, sometimes in words. We really rely on familiarity to distinguish them.

Unfortunately the same problem can even apply to card payments. In certain lights or at some angles, the display on the payment terminal can be unclear.

I cannot even read the card machine now that it sits tantalisingly out of my focal range behind a slab of plastic.

I have to stand there with my thick reading glasses checking the receipt before I leave the shop now.  It is a small inconvenience.
From the point of view of Polar-vision, what could shops do to improve readability of card machines?

The bakery down the road – one of the places which is card-only – uses a different machine to most. I think it might be Apple Pay? There's a small white box with a green light, this changes to a row of green lights when your payment has gone through. The actual amount appears on a separate screen, like a standard computer monitor, where it appears in "large friendly numbers" as Mr Larrington might say. I guess it might be something like a 48-point font. However, this does rely on the assistant turning the screen round so you can see it... which 99% of the time, they do. TBF, since lockdown it's been 100%.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #39 on: 07 August, 2020, 09:08:12 pm »
Question for the folks au fait with Google Pay. Can you add a pre payment card (I'm thinking Pure, which I use cos I get money back) to it?

I tried adding it and it didn't work, so I assume it's a no.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #40 on: 07 August, 2020, 09:22:18 pm »
The poor angle of view on EMVPOS terminals is probably for "security" because you don't want everyone to know you just paid 30 quid espite it having been announced to the room by various methods...

The terminals are in theory capable of a bit more than just shewing you what you're about to pay.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk


Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #41 on: 07 August, 2020, 09:42:22 pm »
I use the Revolut pre paid debit card for all my shopping, it's linked to my phone so I can top it up while out and I also get an instant SMS message every time I make a payment, which is easy to check before leaving the store.  At the moment they're free for most use, though experience tells me they don't always remain so for ever.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #42 on: 07 August, 2020, 11:35:47 pm »
From the point of view of Polar-vision, what could shops do to improve readability of card machines?

Not using murky early-1990s era liquid crystal displays would surely be a good start.  Unless the terminal is battery powered, there's no good reason not to use a nice crisp OLED display or similar.

Then you're into the tricky business of GUI design.  Choice of fonts and colours is tricky, even before you're faced with different people having conflicting preferences for optimum readability.  And of course it will be aesthetically optimised to appeal to the people buying the EPOS equipment, rather than the end users...


Related moan:  ZX Spectrum style rubber keypads.  No tactile feedback, little hope of useful auditory feedback in a shop environment.  Surely we can do better...

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #43 on: 08 August, 2020, 08:35:46 am »
I like to have some cash, especially on the bike. I don’t mind losing a few quid out of my back pockets, but a card would be a pain. At the moment though, cafes are only using contact less - but I’m avoiding cafes for obvious reasons.

The other thing I keep cash for is tipping. If I add a tip to a card payment how do I know that it all goes to the staff? If I’ve received exceptional service from someone I want that person to benefit from the tip.

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #44 on: 08 August, 2020, 09:13:05 am »
I've had to handle cash a bit over the last couple of weeks, mainly on volly Fridays, and it took me a week or two to get used to the coinage again. I only made one mistake though; gave some a £2 coin in change by mistake for a £1.  ::-)

There is actually a serious point to this (otherwise it would just go in the Div thread). Notes are clearly marked with their denomination on both sides, but on coins it's much less clear. The markings are smaller, they tend to be one side only, and they're sometimes in numerals, sometimes in words. We really rely on familiarity to distinguish them.

Unfortunately the same problem can even apply to card payments. In certain lights or at some angles, the display on the payment terminal can be unclear.

I cannot even read the card machine now that it sits tantalisingly out of my focal range behind a slab of plastic.

I have to stand there with my thick reading glasses checking the receipt before I leave the shop now.  It is a small inconvenience.
From the point of view of Polar-vision, what could shops do to improve readability of card machines?
...

No much re the equipment I sm afraid. 

I keep a mental running total as I go round a shop.  Some cashiers still tell you the amount due before setting off the process of payment.  This helps because I can immediately flag up a discrepancy and have done so many times.  I do flag up under-charging as well as overcharging.

There must be tens of thousands of people like me who find these systems difficult but minorities don't have a sufficiently loud voice.

Giraffe

  • I brake for Giraffes
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #45 on: 08 August, 2020, 09:23:48 am »
Reading the numerals for chip'n'PIN: the legend is becoming all blurry - not eyesight but sanitiser methinks. Some sanitisers do leave a residue - certainly the one via foot pump outside Waitrose does (is this a first-world problem?) and I use a lot as hands first then extra to cover all the areas of the trolley that I touch (plus another squib on leaving).
2x4: thick plank; 4x4: 2 of 'em.

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #46 on: 08 August, 2020, 10:05:20 am »
Question for the folks au fait with Google Pay. Can you add a pre payment card (I'm thinking Pure, which I use cos I get money back) to it?

I tried adding it and it didn't work, so I assume it's a no.

I use a Revolute card with Google Pay on my phone and that works fine.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #47 on: 08 August, 2020, 11:41:02 am »
Reading the numerals for chip'n'PIN: the legend is becoming all blurry - not eyesight but sanitiser methinks. Some sanitisers do leave a residue - certainly the one via foot pump outside Waitrose does (is this a first-world problem?) and I use a lot as hands first then extra to cover all the areas of the trolley that I touch (plus another squib on leaving).
Yes, Waitrose is definitely a first-world problem.  :D
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #48 on: 08 August, 2020, 11:44:19 am »
I've had to handle cash a bit over the last couple of weeks, mainly on volly Fridays, and it took me a week or two to get used to the coinage again. I only made one mistake though; gave some a £2 coin in change by mistake for a £1.  ::-)

There is actually a serious point to this (otherwise it would just go in the Div thread). Notes are clearly marked with their denomination on both sides, but on coins it's much less clear. The markings are smaller, they tend to be one side only, and they're sometimes in numerals, sometimes in words. We really rely on familiarity to distinguish them.

Unfortunately the same problem can even apply to card payments. In certain lights or at some angles, the display on the payment terminal can be unclear.

I cannot even read the card machine now that it sits tantalisingly out of my focal range behind a slab of plastic.

I have to stand there with my thick reading glasses checking the receipt before I leave the shop now.  It is a small inconvenience.
From the point of view of Polar-vision, what could shops do to improve readability of card machines?
...

No much re the equipment I sm afraid. 

I keep a mental running total as I go round a shop.  Some cashiers still tell you the amount due before setting off the process of payment. This helps because I can immediately flag up a discrepancy and have done so many times.  I do flag up under-charging as well as overcharging.

There must be tens of thousands of people like me who find these systems difficult but minorities don't have a sufficiently loud voice.
Only some? They really all ought to do this, for every transaction. Though thinking about it, I'm not sure if the staff at the Co-op on the main road do, but they do at the one up the road and the bigger one next to the car wash. So it would seem to vary with staff attitudes and/or training.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Is it the end of cash?
« Reply #49 on: 08 August, 2020, 12:02:35 pm »
All too common experience:

Cashier:  How would you like to pay?
PB:  How much is that please?
Cashier:   ... points to screen  or says, It's on the screen.
PB:  I am registered blind.  Can you tell me what it says please?

There are various endings from this point from clear frustration through to embarrassed over-helpfulness.  It's just part of my life.