News Archive 2024

Unbelievable! Who would ever have thought? Another IT outage creates total havoc! Meantime…. Cash ALWAYS works. Cash NEVER crashes. In cash, we trust…for 2500 years and counting! Source: telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/cashless-meltdown-waitrose-gails-bakery-it-outage

Some “experts” are claiming “this is very unlikely to ever happen again”. Lightning never strikes twice,eh? Except, on average, the Empire State Building in New York is struck by lightning 25 times each year. So, of course, such an outage WILL happen again, due to human error - and, when hostile governments employ hackers to deliberately destabilise societies they don&rsq....

This excellent article by James Tapper and Gaby Eretuyan at The Observer, highlights the perils of a “cashless” society. CrowdStrike are just the latest software provider to demonstrate that totally relying on leading edge technology is as sensible as using a lemming as your mountain guide… The UK is an outlier in that the British public have no legal right to have their cash ....

So far, only 146 “Banking Hubs” have been recommended by LINK, less than 10% of the bank branch closures they have reviewed since 1 January 2022. Cash Access UK claim they hope to have 200 “Banking Hubs” open by the end of 2025. Since only 146 “Banking Hubs” have been recommended to date and, taking account of LINKs strike rate of under 10%, to achieve the addi....

A quote from this excellent article by Peter Hitchens at the Daily Mail “It is time for a campaign to make everyone accept cash again.” The great news for Peter - and everyone else who wants to use cash - is that such a campaign already exists! The Payment Choice Alliance, working on behalf of the 40 Million British adults who want the legal right to use their cash, when and where th....

A former employee of the Australian Taxation Office has the cheek to comment in this article “ ..and consumers are starting to look a bit suspiciously at those businesses that are now only taking cash or offering cash discounts.” How wrong can one man be?! The public LOVE discounts for paying in cash. Businesses around the world have offered such discounts for decades and it is wond....

The HUGE majority the new Labour government has in the Westminster Parliament will allow the government to deliver what the British public wants. And automatic cash acceptance is something 71% of UK adults have told YouGov that they want. That equates to 40 million people who require the legal right to use their cash - their £ - when and where they choose. The necessary legal measure is c....

Very good article from Jordyn Beazley in the Guardian Australia, who tested whether a whole weekends spending could be managed only using cash. Jordyn’s verdict? “I managed to use cash without any hiccups, and hopefully it stays that way.” Unfortunately, it won’t. In countries where they can get away with it, an increasing number of businesses are imposing “cashle....

There’s the stark reality denied by those trying to impose “cashless” on the UK. People do NOT give nearly as much when “contactless” is the only option. It is disgraceful that a Liberal Democrat’s dominated council - Bath & North East Somerset Council - is robbing local residents and the millions of tourists who visit the area every year of Payment Choice....

Whether or not there are ANY plausible benefits to the Eurozone having a Digital Euro, substituting for cash is NOT one of them. Cash has unique qualities that no solution containing the word DIGITAL can ever replicate! Source: irishtimes.com/business/2024/06/25/a-digital-euro-would-combine-the-convenience-of-online-payments-with-cash-like-features

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey has identified that constituencies with a GAIL's Bakery are winnable? Gail’s are, of course, “cashless”, presumably on the basis that it’s easier to get people to pay those prices when they are not actually giving a thought to how much they are spending…. Such prices may be required to put the icing on the cake for Bain Capita....

Who would have believed it? App outages - how could that EVER happen? 🙁🙁🙁🙁 The harsh reality is they are CONTINUALLY happening! Cash NEVER crashes; it is NEVER hacked. Relying 100% on systems we all KNOW are bound to fail would be the ultimate folly. Which is why the British public will NEVER accept a “cashless” UK being imposed on them! Source: bb....

It is absolutely true that cash doesn’t crash - but that won’t retain cash as a payment choice for the public without legislative action. Banks in Australia have been pushing the country towards “cashless” for at least the last 15 years. They have no intention of stopping. One academic quoted in this article states, whilst seemingly predicting that Australia will be &ldq....

A useful article from MoneySavingExpert.com However, “protecting cash” involves far more than just basic access, which is what communities get, for example, from a counter service only post office. Full “protection” can only be provided through 24/7 availability of cash and multiple convenient access points, in each community where cash is being “protected”. ....

The main thing to focus on in this article is this quote: “Since 2019, people have voted with their feet and chosen the convenience of contactless payments, or shopping online. Today, 14 per cent of people say they never carry cash.” When YouGov carried out a recent for the Payment Choice Alliance, only 13% of those interviewed said they wanted a “cashless” society. So w....

The sad thing is that the total Post Office banking revenues quoted in this article are very LOW. There are 11,500 post offices. So average banking revenues per post office branch are just over £20,000 per annum. Revenues per banking transaction must be pitiful. And if total revenues from banking services are truly higher than the average post office earns from parcels and letters, then t....

Here we go again. A bank announces a review of whether a branch is going to close or not. A very colourful 7 page branch closure “review”document is produced; followed by a second less colourful 3 page document announcing the “review” has been completed and it is confirmed that the branch is closing. As you might imagine, branches almost NEVER survive such “reviews....

This article from 2017 reported on a YouGov survey that revealed 34% of British adults expected the UK to go “cashless”. Seven years on the figure remains under 50%, despite the pandemic, with its empty High Streets and the anti-cash antics of the massively funded “cashless” promoters Visa, Mastercard and Apple over the intervening years. And these figures are EXPECT, not....

A General Election means that the fervently anti-cash HM Treasury cannot muzzle the Bank of England. Note the difference in tone from the Bank Governor Andrew Bailey now the shackles are off until the new government is in place on 5 July. Look at this quote from Andrew:
“We know that cash is important for MANY people, and we are committed to providing banknotes for as long as the pub....

Rather than just asking for people and businesses to submit views, the Channel Island government should do a proper survey of the public. That’s what the Payment Choice Alliance did in the UK last year, through YouGo. The Alliance found that only 13% of British adults in any way favoured a “cashless” UK; on the other hand, 71% wanted a law put in place to give them the right to ....

Here’s the reality of this announcement. Firstly, LINK has had a “super-ATM” cash deposit transaction available to be used by banks since 2016. It has never been used. So an 8 year delay. Procrastination is an art form in UK banking. Secondly, this article talks about Cash Access UK hoping to have 100 “super-ATMs” installed by the end of 2024. A whole hundred?! ....

This is Muirhouse in Edinburgh, next door to Drylaw and Pilton. Everyone locally has known for YEARS about the problems with cash access in this area & ZERO has been done about it in all that time. Our thanks to Hope Webb and Emma Clifford Bell of BBC Scotland for bringing this matter into the public domain. The truth is that many parts of Edinburgh are suffering in the same way. And what a....

Another day, another town where many small retailers are struggling with card fees and the imposition of “cashless”. Today, it’s Blackpool businesses revealing their problems with lack of cash. In an apparent effort to justify the reduction in cash access caused by the closure of bank branches and the removal of around 20,000 ATMs in the last few years, UK Finance published surv....

Callum Mason at iNews.id again highlighting that card transactions are destroying the profitability of many thousands of small businesses around the UK. Cash is what rescues such businesses, the businesses which are at the heart of so many British communities. “Cashless” would kill them off completely so will NOT be allowed to happen! Source: inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/saving....

Another town where the businesses prefer cash, to avoid being destroyed by high Visa and Mastercard charges. Anne Marie Morris is the local MP- and Anne supports cash and Payment Choice. Time the bosses back in London - Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt started listening.. 4 July is VERY close… Source: devonlive.com/news/devon-news/teignmouth-seaside-businesses-want-tourists-9310148.amp

China is a country seemingly dominated by mobile payments. With Alipay leading the way, mobile payments are said to have reached 86% penetration of the Chinese market. And yet.... Earlier this month, China's central bank - People's Bank of China - fined seven businesses, among them a local KFC franchise, for rejecting cash payments. The fines, which ranged from RMB 3,000 ($414) to RMB ....

Norway already had laws in place covering the rights of the Norwegian public to use cash. However, they were considered inadequate. So last week the Norwegian Parliament strengthened the Norwegian publics rights. From now on, basically cash MUST be accepted, along with other payment methods. Similar legal measures are already in place in other European markets, with Ireland being the closest cou....

British voters - around 57 MILLION of them - will now have their say on the 4th of July. All the political parties will need to prove that they are listening to the British public. Rishi Sunak has yet to prove he is listening to the 71% of the electorate who told YouGov last year that they want a law passed to give them the right to spend their cash, where and when they choose. A UK Payment Cho....

Treorchy was judged to have the “High Street of the Year” in 2020. Now all the banks have deserted the town, taking their ATMs with them. There is a shortage of cash, forcing the public and businesses to stop using their preferred payment method. The Payment Choice Alliance has one word to describe this situation. DISGRACEFUL. Source: walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/town-people-li....

Martin Quinn really believes in Payment Choice. In this article he speaks about why he decided to join the Payment Choice Alliance and why he believes a law is needed to give the British public the right to spend their cash, when and where they chose. Source: inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/fighting-law-businesses-cash-payments-3056556

From 2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes in this radio show, you can hear Ron Delnevo telling James Cannon how communities are being destroyed by bank branch closures and bank ATM removals. Ron stresses that comprehensive solutions are needed to guarantee convenient cash access and acceptance in every community. For example, to provide a few “bank hubs” without ATMs is an empty g....

Doesn’t a photograph of a suitcase or table-top of cash - which you can see by clicking on the link - add drama to a newspaper story! However, the FACT is that the cash mentioned was only 10% of the “value” of the fraud subject to this prosecution  - and that £5.7 million figure itself probably does not reflect the full story of this crypto crime; it is simply the fig....

It’s not just barber shops that are tired of having their profits cut by Visa and Mastercard. Which is why those Card Schemes want to make the UK “cashless”.  They don’t want barber shops - or any other businesses - to have the option of accepting cash and keeping 100% of the value of their sales. Nor do Card Schemes want the British public to have the option to use....

An interesting headline from the Daily Express. The “company committed to maintaining cash access in the UK” will need to do MUCH better. The CEO of Cash Access UK  promises 200 “hubs” by the end of 2025. That’s barely 20% of the minimum number the UK requires - which is ONE THOUSAND. THAT WOULD BE A MILESTONE WORTH BOASTING ABOUT! When will that number be r....

Great to see prominent public-spirited politicians in Los Angeles  speaking out against the scourge of “cashless”. California is the home of Visa  - but local politicians aren’t buying into the giant Card Schemes lala-land vision of a “cashless” future. Meantime, Visa  is trying to export the vision it increasingly can’t sell at home. Cash cont....

Martin Quinn, a Campaign Director of the Payment Choice Alliance, was right to tell Frances Ivens  at The Daily Telegraph that Transport for London are a total disgrace.  £4 MORE for a £2.70 ticket because a customer CHOOSES to use cash? This is effectively a TAX on cash users, to the tune of over 1/4 of a £BILLION each year! How are London Trading Standards (LTS) le....

At long last, The Guardian  has come out AGAINST a “cashless” society and FOR cash acceptance. Well done to the Editorial Team! The truth is though that it is NOT just the most vulnerable who would suffer in a “cashless” UK. We would ALL suffer because we would have permanently lost something fundamental to democracy. CHOICE. Source: theguardian.com/commentisfree/....

In this wide ranging piece for GB News, Ron details the solutions required in the UK to guarantee the public and businesses have convenient cash services at community level: - A law to protect the British publics right to use cash, when and where they choose. - Proper funding of Post Office Ltd, so that thousands of post offices have ATMs and automated cash deposits. Counter service is not enoug....

The Irish Government asks the public and discovers that there is overwhelming support for the legal protection of cash use. The Irish government has put in place regulations that compel businesses to accept cash - and more is to come to guarantee the long-term future of cash in the UK’s nearest neighbours. When did the UK government or any of its departments - such as HM Treasury - ask the....

Excellent news here, in a quote here from South Holland District Council regarding new car parking payment machines which have been installed “The 14 new machines, which cost a total of £88,500 including installation and ongoing maintenance, are designed to accept contactless and chip-and-pin card payment, as well as CASH and via the APCOA connect online app.” Well done to Sout....

Starbucks have really got to pay attention to standards in their franchise network. Starbucks HQ will tell you they have no “cashless” policy - BUT they don’t stop franchisees from refusing cash. Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan needs to smell the coffee. “Cashless” is already unacceptable - and will soon be illegal - in the United Kingdom. PLEASE STOP YOUR FRANCHI....

Cash will ALWAYS be critical for businesses which truly respect their customers wishes and needs. As regards innovation, there has been huge innovation in recent years to improve the cash supply chain and cash handling. That innovation needs to now be fully implemented to ensure cash circulates smoothly - particularly at community level - for businesses and the public. Source: chainstoreage.com....

Just a week after it became apparent that Barclays UK may well close up to 1000 of the 1400 branches they have left in the UK, the bank has announced draconian limitations on cash deposits. Read this article to see what Martin Quinn, a Campaign Director of the Payment Choice Alliance, has to say about this totally unacceptable manoeuvre by Barclays UK. Many financial services “insiders&rdq....

There are MANY reasons why British businesses and the British public want and need to use cash. Martin and Bizza have a chat about just some of those reasons.

Wiltshire Council has announced that all their parking meters are being replaced - and that the shiny new ones will continue to accept cash! Well done to this Council. They did NOT wait until a UK Payment Choice Act is passed to do the right thing. All other Councils please copy! Source: gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/24249748.council-clarify-cashless-parking-concerns-marlborough/

This is a story from Swindon - BUT around the UK, customers are starting to boycott Asda because the retailer because it is imposing “cashless”. When will businesses learn? “Cashless” is a dead man walking. When the UK Payment Choice Act becomes law, the corpse will be buried PERMANENTLY. BUT do NOT wait for that, Asda! Give your customers back their RIGHT to Payment C....

It’s GREAT when research confirms what we already knew! Cash allows us to track and control our own spending better, in addition to stopping companies and governments tracking our lives! Two WONDERFUL features of cash that can NEVER be replicated by any other payment method! Source: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13305655/amp/Handing-cash-causes-psychological-pain-using-cards-research-sugge....

Well done to the supporters of Daventry Town Football Club for refusing to accept the imposition of “cashless”! Some football clubs have gone “cashless”, which, apart from anything else, is hardly in the spirit of the inclusiveness that the sport claims to promote. Of course, ALL football clubs will be forced to revert to accepting cash when the UK Payments Choice Act bec....

Payment Choice is preferable - but businesses that only accept cash certainly rubbish the notion that “cashless” is the only sensible way to run anything successfully these days. Here in the UK, many businesses made the excuse of Covid to stop accepting cash. There are NO excuses now. Those businesses that have imposed “cashless” still have a chance to honour the wishes ....

“The world’s gone mad.” That’s the view of Oldham residents faced with Asda imposing “cashless” at their petrol forecourts. There is talk of a boycott. Who could blame the public in Oldham for taking such a firm stance against the horrors of “cashless”? Source: theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/24246906.oldham-residents-blast-supermarket-card-only-initia....