It’s probably safe to say that most people have been in that mortifying situation at some point in their lives. A table has been secured, the jackets are off and a round of beverages are on their way – all that’s left to do before settling down is to pay the barperson. However, the bill can’t be paid because that crucial trip to the ATM machine was overlooked in favour of taking a shortcut to the pub.
Luckily, that very embarrassing dash to the bank is becoming a thing of the past given that most places now accept credit or debit cards as payment. Indeed, many people now consciously don’t carry cash at all and rely purely on plastic payment when buying just about anything.
This, perhaps, is a sign that we are moving ever closer towards living in a cashless society. In London, many commuters use pre-paid travel cards such as the Oyster Card to swipe themselves swiftly through the barriers and, with pre-paid credit cards becoming an increasingly popular payment method for many shoppers, some predictions estimate that cash may close to obsolete within five years. Continue reading ‘Credit cards and a cash-free society’ »