MAJOR high street brands have gone cashless after adopting adopt strict card-only rules.
Restaurants, cafes, bakeries and supermarkets are amongst the list of chains that have decided to opt out of accepting loose change.
The government has just given businesses the green light to adopt card-only payments[/caption]
The move has been branded “completely unacceptable” by a campaign group whilst others have raised fears of what the decision means for the high street.
Coffee chain Pret a Manger has begun piloting cashless outlets.
Although some of its 490 stores continue to accept cash.
Gail’s Bakery has revealed that its 150 outlets nationwide will only accept card payments.
A spokesperson for the chain said: “We only accept card payments. This practice has environmental benefits as it eliminates the need for cash collection and delivery, which used to be done by car several times per week across over a hundred locations.
“Additionally, being cashless has had a positive impact on the security of our bakeries by minimising the risk of criminal activity.”
Similarly, Ole and Steen has begun operating cashless.
Meanwhile, some supermarkets have chosen to go card-only at their tills.
For instance, Waitrose only accept cash at its cafes and manned checkouts.
In fact, the upmarket food giant has not accepted cash at its self-checkouts for more than a year.
Pizza Hut has also taken a similar stance since 2020 when it turned to taking card only.
Another Italian favourite, Papa Johns, has begun moving towards a tipless systems for Brits.
Whilst Zizzi’s has also gone fully cash-free in the majority of its sites.
The restaurant chain only accepts card, Google Pay or Apple Pay trasnsaction.
Zizzi’s FAQs says: “To provide the smoothest and fastest payment experience, and to keep our teams safe, we are cashless and we encourage card, Apple Pay or Google Pay transactions. You can pay up to £100 contactless on your card and unlimited when using Apple Pay and Google Pay in most of our restaurants.”
The Korean-Japanese restaurant, Kokoro, does not accept cash either.
Again, focusing on card payments and other digital methods.
Itsu has also had similar rules in place since 2019.
Other chains have not been as vocal about their stance but some reviewers have commented they have faced trouble when trying to use cash.
Amongst this list are Cote Brasserie, Turtle Bay and Revolutions Bars.
How to apply for a credit card
HERE is everything you need to know about applying for a credit card:
Which card do you need: The first thing you need to do if figure out what kind card you are going to need.
Luckily for you, you are in the right place as this article will explain what kind of card you need for your situation.
Check your credit score: Your credit score determines how reliable you are when it comes to borrowing money.
The better your credit score the more likely it is that banks will accept you for the best deals.
When you apply for a credit card your bank will check your credit score to see if you suitable for the deal they are offering.
If you have a bad credit rating the bank may not want to lend you money in case you can’t pay it back.
You can find out how to check your credit score here
Don’t apply all over the place: If you just apply for loads of different deals you may end up hurting your chances of getting the best deals.
If you apply and your application gets refused it will leave a mark on your credit file which means that providers might be less likely to lend to you.
Always check using an eligibility such as MoneySuperMarket’s Smart Search to see how likely you are to be accepted for a credit card.
Don’t believe everything you see: Just because you see a credit card advertised with a great rate online, it doesn’t mean that that is the rate you will end up getting.
By law credit card companies have to give the rate they advertise to the 51% of the people who successfully apply for a credit card.
But, depending on your credit score you might get a different interest rate or a shorter 0% period.
You don’t have to accept the rate you are offered and you can always shop around for a better deal.
Fill in your application form: Once you have decided on the card you are after just fill in the online form on the credit card company’s website.
Try to be as honest as possible with your credit details.
If your application is declined it might be worth asking the bank for a copy of your credit file to see why it is that you weren’t accepted for the credit card.
If you are accepted can take a week or two for your card to arrive.
Is it legal for businesses to go cashless?
It follows the government giving the green light for businesses to move away from cash payments.
Businesses will no longer be forced to mandate cash payments, Economic Secretary Emma Reynolds confirmed during an appearance before MPs on the Treasury Committee earlier this week.
The committee said it would launch an investigation into the acceptance of cash back in November.
The policy switch received some pushback from those who feel the move would exclude older Brits who were not as digitally capable, as well as domestic abuse victims who have testified that cash is their only escape route.
Reynolds responded by assuring that the government would address both demographics and said she was confident that the UK wouldn’t become a cashless society in the distant future.
Martin Quinn, the director of the Campaign for Cash, slammed the move as “a slap in the face” for cash users.
He said: “Millions of cash users are being ignored, and if you want to use cash, this Government is basically saying you are a second-class citizen.
“All of this plays into the US credit card companies and payment giants who are making millions of pounds of profit at the expense of individuals who want to use cash and shops and businesses who are at the mercy of ever-increasing card fees.”
A pro-cash campaign group has slammed the move by the government’s latest decision[/caption]
