The Battle to Retain Payment Choice at British Pubs

The Payment Choice Alliance has been campaigning to ensure ALL pubs allow their customers to spend their cash when visiting their favourite club.

We have concentrated initially on the Top Ten pub groups in the country - who between them are responsible for around 70% of the UK’s hostelries - asking them to confirm that every pub they own allows customers Payment Choice.

We have only been in dialogue with the pub giants for a few weeks, but already we can identify some “Cash Heroes” - the pub companies who care enough about their customers to allow those customers to use cash when and where they want to do so.

We have five “Cash Heroes” - so 50% of the Top Ten - to acclaim so far.

Cash Heroes (in alphabetic order):

• Admiral Taverns
• Marstons
• Punch Taverns
• J. D. Wetherspoons
• Samuel Smiths

Well done to these five pub companies for honouring their customers right to use cash.

As for the other five in the Top Ten, the news is not so positive.

Here’s the position with these five, who have so far FAILED to win the accolade “Cash Hero”:

Greene King : facing a massive fall from grace, as their customers vent fury at “cashless” being introduced in some pubs. The Payment Choice Alliance has asked Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie to personally intervene to end this folly.

Mitchells & Butler: the dialogue continues. No definitive response yet. The Alliance will chase remorselessly until this pub group responds fully.

Wellington Pub Company: basically informed the Payment Choice Alliance that they don’t know if their pubs, which operate on a “ Free of Tie” basis, accept cash or not. The Alliance has informed them that ignorance is NOT bliss and suggested they find out - and quickly.

Star Pubs & Bars: no response to the Payment Choice Alliance questions. The Alliance will chase CEO Lawson Mountstevens until we get an answer.

Stonegate Group: no response to the Payment Choice Alliance questions. The Alliance will chase CEO Simon Longbottom until we get an answer.

So a good start, with thousands of pubs confirmed as committed to accepting cash - and more to come.

However, the Payment Choice Alliance needs YOUR help.

If you know of pub group or individual pub that doesn’t accept cash, please let the Alliance know.

Drop the Alliance an email at info@paymentchoicealliance.org and we will contact the pubs concerned about again accepting cash.

With your help, EVERYONE in the UK can enjoy the Payment Choice they need - and want.