Yuyutsu,

“Life gets more and more difficult as we grow old…”

It certainly does. Unfortunately, as has always been the case, you have to get old yourself before you realise it; and the people making all the changes don't have a clue what it is like to be old. At 80, I now cringe at some of the things that I expected my mother to take on when she was in her 90s; so I understand that the younger ones today are just the same. I hope they make the most of everything before they get old.

About the surcharges: I have an email drafted to send to my MP tomorrow hoping to get some enlightenment. There is a percentage of the sale amount charged reportedly to cover the cost transactions, but I can't see how a larger sale would cost more than a smaller sale to deal with at the Big Bank. If there has to be a charge, it should be a flat one.

Not all traders add the charge - being competitive - but, with no cash, they will all be at it.

I do use a debit card, not a credit card: I use my own money - when it suits me. If any business demands ‘cash only’, I will not deal with them. But you are a strict cash only man, as you are entitled to be, and as many other older people are. The puppeteers and tyrants don't seem to care.

I've heard the RBA woman and a couple of politicians say ‘we are not going to phase cash out altogether’. I don't believe them. No cash gives governments more control over us, and it enriches banks and other financial institutions, plus businesses flogging card/phone tapping machines to traders. And, the scammers will be delighted.

As usual, the big losers will be us if there is a cashless society,

I have two credit cards one on a mutual society bank and the other a
mainstream bank.
The charges I make on either appear in the account as the same on the
product, on the printed receipt and in the on line accounts.
So it seems that the shop must be adding on the network charges to the goods.
If this is so you cannot escape the cashless charges whether you use cash or not !

Bezza,

Sorry. I don't follow.

I assume "charges" are the amounts you pay. But "account" and "online accounts" ?

And there are no charges if you pay cash.

The ticket prices of the goods I buy are the same as in my bank account
I only get any charges on foreign transactions.

Hi AC,

"You mean I won't be able to buy a toilet roll to wipe my bum with" Nah, you just use $50 notes. Tried it with the plastic too small, too hard, 50's are better!

Sorry for the kid on my local group page, left his wallet in KFC, returned a few minutes later, wallet gone. Store no help, suggested that the store CCTV be looked at, maybe a customer, maybe staff. I'm no saint, but in recent years I've found 3 wallets and through a bit of detective work managed to return them to their owners

Bezza

OK. You are not copping a surcharge from whoever you are dealing with. You would see the charge on the receipt if there is one. Some traders don't charge it; some do. They are all required by law to put a notice with their scanners that a surcharge applies. My most recent use of a Visa card for petrol, a carpet, a lounge suite, a new microwave, have had NO surcharge added. A restaurant is the only one that stung me. They “prefered ” card payments, but still took cash.

We can save cash by using it.

I saw a program on TV last night with a ‘jury’ that voted on whether they wanted a cashless society or not. Although most of them used electronic payments - never used cash - they ALL said NO to scrapping cash.