A Good Future For Cash In The UK

“Future of cash in UK explained…” by UK Finance?

This isn’t an explanation.

It’s a wish list, prepared by an organisation that counts amongst its most important members - and funders - the same banks that have determinedly been making cash much less conveniently accessible for more than a decade, as well as “encouraging” businesses not to accept cash.

Even if one accepts the UK Finance estimate of 3.9 billion being the number of cash payments in 2025 - they are not going to come up with a high estimate, are they? - the “explanation” is not quite as they portray it.

When YouGov, on behalf of the Payment Choice Alliance, conducted a survey on cash use in May 2026, it emerged that 72% of adults had used cash in the last month and around 40% had used cash weekly or more frequently.

40% of the UK adult population is around 23 million regular cash users.

Of the 3.9 billion cash payments estimated by UK Finance, around 3 billion are carried out by these 23 million regular users.

Which means, on average, each of those 23 million regular cash users made around 130 cash payments in 2025.

That is NOT a small or insignificant number.

The other questions YouGov put to the UK public on behalf of the Payment Choice Alliance - questions that would NEVER be asked by UK Finance - concerned, firstly, support for a “cashless” UK and , secondly, support for legislation obliging the acceptance of cash.

Only 10% of UK adults supported the UK becoming a “cashless” society when asked in May 2026, as against 12% in 2023.

Yes. Support for “cashless” is actually FALLLING.

As regards, the UK publics support for legislation obliging the acceptance of cash, 72% supported in 2026, as against 71% in 2023.

To sum up these numbers, 23 million regular cash users made on average 130 cash payments in 2025; in 2026, only 6 million UK adults in any way support the UK becoming a “cashless” society; and around 42 million UK adults support legislation being passed to oblige cash acceptance.

You will NOT get such figures from UK Finance OR LINK Scheme Ltd OR HM Treasury OR the Bank of England OR the Financial Conduct Authority OR ANY other organisation in the UK.

They don’t ask the questions because they don’t want to face up to the answers.

THAT GAME IS UP.

There is a new Prime Minister in Downing Street and a new Chancellor at HM Treasury.

Andy Burnham in particular seems to give the truth a high priority.

He knows where to come for the truth about cash - the Payment Choice Alliance

Source: walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/future-cash-uk-explained-make-34480722.amp