Edition 5 - Keeping Up the Pressure!

The M&S CEO Says His Cafes Accept Cash BUT Do They?

If NOT Send Him A Letter!

Unfortunately, what businesses tell the Payment Choices Alliance about cash acceptance cannot always be taken at face value. A good example is Marks & Spencer. After complaints from PCA supporters that M&S cafes were NOT accepting cash, our Chair Ron Delnevo wrote to Stuart Machin, the CEO of M&S asking for clarification.

Within 24 hours, M&S were in touch by phone, saying that Stuart Machin wanted Ron to know that the M&S Cafes definitely accepted cash. On the face of it, this seemed to be excellent news. However, M&S refused to install signs at their cafes stating ‘Cash Accepted’ or better still ‘Welcome’! so it seemed their enthusiasm for cash was lukewarm, at best.

The PCA has now received further reports from supporters complaining that cash is not being accepted at M&S Cafes, or at best, that they had to go to a particular till to be allowed to use their cash.

Ron Delnevo has now written again to Stuart Machin asking that he:

• Exert his authority and orders ALL of the 140 M&S Cafes to accept cash,
• Tells ALL of the 140 M&S Cafes to treat customers wishing to pay cash graciously, including by serving those customers in the same queues used by those using other payment methods. Asking them to jump through hoops to use their cash is completely UNACCEPTABLE.
• Instructs ALL 140 M&S Cafes to install prominent signage proclaiming ‘CASH WELCOME’. That will help both customers AND staff remember that cash acceptance at M&S is mandatory.

It would be excellent if every PCA supporter could visit a M&S Cafe in the near future and let Ron Delnevo know directly about their experiences, by emailing ron.delnevo@paymentchoicealliance.org.

Should there be any questions of cash NOT being accepted, the PCA would urge supporters to make a polite but firm fuss about it!

Insist on the right to use your cash, as promised by Stuart Machin, the M&S CEO! If you would like to write to Stuart Machin personally to tell him how unhappy you are, his address is:-

Stuart Machin, CEO M&S Group Plc, Waterside House, 35 North Wharf Road, London W2 1NW

Stuart’s email address is: stuart.machin@marks-and-spencer.com

Please copy in Ron Delnevo on all emails or letters, it all helps to keep up the PRESSURE!

Demand for Cash ‘Stronger Than Ever!

Interesting figures from the Post Office. Only £900 million of the £3.7billion of British Post Office cash activity in July 2024 was cash withdrawals. The rest was business and personal cash deposits. This underlines the lack of deposit alternatives for the British public and businesses. That said, with the value of ATM transactions resilient, despite the continuing reduction in the UK ATM estate, the £10 billion plus likely to be withdrawn from post offices in 2024 added to the £81 billion forecast to be issued by UK ATMs leaves cash looking in a stronger position than for several years.

Cash just refuses to go away - or to be murdered by those trying to impose ‘cashless’ on the British public.

Support A Payment Choice Act: Take Action Now

Stop Press - 24 August

The PCA has just heard from Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, as follows:-

‘We understand that Southeastern Trains (SET) is planning to make changes regarding how customers can pay for parking at a number of its stations. These changes were planned to be implemented imminently, however, SET has now postponed the changes to cashless car parking methods while customer feedback is reviewed. SET is working to increase the number of options available to help everyone continue to pay for their parking and will keep customers fully informed of any future changes to car parking charges.’

So Southeastern are being forced to think again! If all supporters of the PCA write to Lord Hendy, at the same address as used for Louise Haigh, telling him how much they oppose cashless station car parks, this postponement could turn into a permanent win for the British public!

The PCA Says ‘NO’ to ‘Cashless’ Station Car Parks

The PCA was on Radio Kent at 07:20am on 12th August, talking to Anna Cookson about the disgraceful decision of Southeastern Railway to impose ‘cashless’ parking on Railway Stations in Kent.

Listen here > The Wake Up Call - 12/08/2024 - BBC Sounds

Let’s hope Steve White, MD of Southeastern Railway, got the wake up call! Steve takes over £1 million EVERY day in taxpayers subsidy and then goes completely off the rails with a decision like this!

UNACCEPTABLE.

The PCA has written to Louise Haigh MP, the new Secretary of State for Transport, asking that she intervene to stop any UK Railway Station imposing ‘cashless’.

Last year, the previous government ordered that Railway Station Ticket Offices be kept open so that the public could choose to use cash for ticket purchases. This is clearly pointless, if the same members of the public can’t park at stations because their cash is not accepted in the car parks! Surely we will see some joined-up thinking from Louise Haigh MP on this, leading to the banning of ‘cashless’?

Using apps should be an option; they should not become a required ‘passport’ to use public transport, funded by British taxpayers.

10 million British adults do NOT own expensive Smartphones - and even many who do have them do not WANT to use payment apps. Why should they be forced to do so, particularly to use a public service? Louise Haigh is not the only government minister likely to take a keen interest in this, Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister and Communities Minister, is bound to be concerned to see the attempted imposition of ‘cashless’ in communities around the UK. Especially when train operators like Southeastern Railway are taking huge subsidies from British taxpayers to deliver basic services supposed to be for EVERYONE.

The PCA awaits action from the new government. If PCA supporters would like to write directly to the new Secretary of State for Transport about ‘cashless’ station car parks - or indeed, ‘cashless’ train catering - Louise Haigh’s address is:-

Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP Secretary of State for Transport
Department of Transport
Great Minster House
3 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 4DR

As ever, please copy in Ron Delnevo via email.

Please Tell Your Friends About The Payment Choice Alliance

The PCA needs all the active supporters we can get! So please tell your friends about YOUR support for the Payment Choice Alliance - and urge them to visit our website to register THEIR support!

THANK YOU.

Take Action to Protect Cash

About Us

The Payment Choice Alliance, founded in 2014 and relaunched in 2023, is a campaigning organisation committed to ensuring the right of the British public to use cash is safeguarded by the passing of a Payment Choice Act.

The Act would give everyone in the UK the right to use their cash, when and where they choose.

The Payment Choice Alliance, which is run by committed volunteers, is also focused on ensuring every community in the UK has convenient cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. The provision of such facilities, along with the legal obligation of businesses to accept cash, will ensure cash remains a viable Payment Choice for the British public for as long as they want to use it.