Curse of Contactless

[oldtimer]

Went down to Devon last week for a couple of days via M5.  Stopped off for refreshments only to find the vendor had no change.  We had to go and buy something from WHS to get the change to pay for the coffee ?  Happened in a couple of other places too.  It would appear that the yoof always pay contactless now for coffee etc so no change is in circulation. So we oldies have to walk round with pockets sagging under the weight of small change.

Its easy when you know how

[RSB]

It’s all change now-a-day ?

Americans: Over Sexed, Over Payed and Over here, Wat Wat!

[Dave Rice]

Or you could use a contactless card…

I found it a PITA in Amsterdam when my contactless UK VISA card wouldn’t do the contactless bit. Worked fine any other way.

A pocket full of small Euro coins, now that is annoying.

[Bob Williams]

I was the original card-resistant Senior, but rarely use cash for anything now. Within the last few months, all the little and the larger shops in Louth have suddenly gone contactless. Only the Market stalls need cash and there are 3 ATM’s in the Cornmarket itself. It’s progress and I like the ease it brings to shopping, which is an activity I hate with a passion. Fortunately there are not many “Chain” shops in Louth, but there are more places to eat in such a small space. It has become a Food Town: every kind of eating establishment you can name – Indian, Thai, Spanish, Coffee Houses, Tex-Mex even. And plenty of basic English food choices, which is great for me.

I have a habit of jingling pocket change, which drives wife and daughter mad.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[oldtimer]

I have nothing against contactless per se but I do dislike the banks who will do anything to force more cash out of us.  When Credit cards came in they were free and a win win win situation.  The banks won because they did not have to process cheques (a laborious job) so they must have saved colossal  sums of money (although this might be off-set by the cost of giving credit).  The traders won because they did not have to process cheques either, saving them expense.  Finally the consumer won for the same reason.  But the banks insisted on charging the traders who in turn passed it on to the consumer who pays for the privilege of saving the others money.  In the end the government has had to legislate to stop the rip-off.   Something similar will happen to contactless transactions. If nothing else, it will be an excuse to abandon cheques which they have been trying to do for years.  We will live to regret it – well some of us/you will.  Even so, I guess I will conform sooner or later.

Its easy when you know how

[oldtimer]

Hi Bob – like the comment about all change now.  On your other point, cash machines do not dispense loose change.  A fist full of tenners will not help.  The only ” solution” will be to round up all prices to the next pound.

Its easy when you know how

[Dave Rice]

Credit cards have never been a free transaction to traders. It’s tighter margins in the race to the bottom that have caused costs to be passed on.

Cheques are a total pain in the butt, as is cash. I buy the goods I need over the internet and it’s all electronic.  My groceries arrive from a nice man in an Ocado van when I want them (from 6am to 10pm 7 days a week). Yesterday was particularly fraught for us both so a kid on a moped delivered a pizza whilst the Mrs watched Strictly and I got some paperwork done on the laptop. Money that isn’t electronic I cannot spend in these places.

I do not wish to return to driving to the distributor to pick up and man handle boxes (or to find that we ain’t got any guv). Or waste over an hour picking over the crap in Tesco and trying to work out just what is included in the 3 for a tenner offer. Sometimes it is nice for someone else to sort out the evening meal and bring it to the door.

Our Christmas will be sorted by the online (local) butcher (already ordered) and Amazon. We did buy some paper decorations in Hema in Amsterdam (like you used to see here when I was a kid) and I can’t remember but we may have used folding stuff. However the evening drinks were settled in a civilized fashion by a bill at the end and not pay as you go. That was via a Euro debit card topped up electronically from my UK bank via a phone app.

Cash? Increasingly irrelevant to how I live my life.

[PlaneMan]

Cash rules in certain places, lots of local clubs don’t take cards because of the vast majority of members are over 60 and only use cash.

The jobbing builders only take cash. Same for some plumbers who work weekends off the books.

I agree about contactless and online payments though, can be very handy just to pay with a phone or PayPal.

[Ed P]

Long live cash! The Government would love us to get rid of cash as then they would have total control over the prols. Put one foot wrong and all your assets disappear into never-never land. Get rid of cash and you are voting for the ultimate police state.

[Dave Rice]

You need cash to buy all those tin foil hats ?

Ed, I don’t know how much of your assets are liquid but I would suggest for most people it’s a very small percentage. Wealth is tied up in property, things like cars and computers and money in investments and the bank, not under the bed (where it depreciates and has to be handed in now and then for the new fangled plastic notes).

Anyway, I am enjoying my liquid assets tonight after a 7 day working week and another to come.  Amazon will now deliver 20 litres of Weston’s Old Rosie God help me of they ever stock Thatchers Cheddar Valley or Katy As you can see I can get it delivered but it’s not as easy as clicking “Buy now with 1-Click”.

Cheddar Valley is the downfall of many a Bristol student in Freshers week. Looks and tastes like apple juice. What is all the fuss about? they say on pint 3 only to have pint 1 hit half way through…

[Ed P]

Dave, it depends how much you trust the Government. My trust was heavily eroded by TBLiar, and each year actions by the Government in power (lies, distortions of the truth and broken promises) erode that trust a little further. While I agree I have very few assets that are immediately convertible to cash it is comforting to know that in an emergency I could over a period of time convert it all to a uniform medium of exchange over which there would be little Government control – Bitcoins even.

BTW your Cheddar Valley link appears unusable using a Linux computer, the ‘age’ thing seems to require Activex. Be careful drinking too much cider, the high potassium content may interfere with your meds.

[Alan Wood]

I think contactless is great. I can’t remember how many times I left my card in the chip and pin machine and only realised later resulting in another 12 mile trip to the local town to reclaim it. Chip and Pin required that the card ceased to always be in your hand thus was forgotten about when packing purchases. With contactless the card stays in your hand and is never forgotten. Wish the spending limit was higher though.

[dwynnehugh]

I find the ease of contactless make you forget your pin number for bigger shops!!

The more you meet people the more you understand why Noah took animals instead of humans

[Bob Williams]

We use contactless at Morrisons for the weekly shop, by dividing groceries into ‘lots’ under £30 in the trolley, as I go. That way we can benefit from the TSB cashback, which accumulates a decent sum every month. I use it for fuel as well, anything and everything I can think of. That’s why I echo Alan Wood‘s quote:

” Wish the spending limit was higher though. ”

I have the kind of brain which does not ever forget numbers, so I can recall my PIN’s easily. Phone numbers, all kinds of numbers. Unfortunately it does not work with names and words, so I am often reduced to saying “Hello… er … how are you?” to people I have not met for a while. Sometimes with people I have not met since yesterday! My SWMBO stopped me calling her “Thingy” as a joke some time ago, as she feared that I would forget her real name. As if …

Dave, I remember cider, at least I think so. My dear old Romany gran made it herself. Born somewhere in the Devon countryside, in a horse-drawn Romany van, she would collect windfalls from local Staffordshire and Cheshire orchards, near my grandparent’s cottage on the county borders. The result was liquid TNT and I was never allowed more than a sip as a child. Even later, she would allow no family member more than half a pint.

When I was a Merchant Navy trainee at Sharpness, near Berkeley, I sampled a couple of pints of scrumpy in a local hostelry. We 3 mates were 16 and were advised to drink it carefully without shaking it and leave an inch of sediment in the glass, to be decanted into a huge, very healthy plant in the corner. I have no real recollection of arriving back at the Vindicatrix Training Ship that Sunday, and was very ill for most of that day, treated the stuff with respect and moderation ever since. I also witnessed the Severn Bore whilst there: once seen, a sight never forgotten. Also not forgotten are the words of a local: “Beer is beer me dear, but coider is a drink!”

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

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