Got a question, and opinions for discusion.

[bluestarone]

Our daughter and son informed us of places that do NOT except cash. Got me thinking that maybe at some point our country could at some point decide to go completely cash free? I'm thinking maybe there could be a goal to go completely cash free at some point? Daughter mentioned some hotel someplace is CARD pay only. My son mentioned at some stadiums are cards only. So maybe 30 years from now NO CASH payments? What does everyone think?

[LoisB]

1. I would not be happy. There are some places I would never use a card.

[bluestarone]

3. Oh, i agree fully!

The way things are going though, i would not be surprised.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. It's coming sooner that we'd like

Governments could tax cash. If you spend or deposit it, it costs you x%. During the great Recession some countries allowed banks to charge depositors interest to keep their cash safe. Government could devalue cash, replace it with a different currency denomination. How about TrumpBucks convertible to crypto? USPS has effectively made old stamps hard to use though not worthless. You can't fit 26 three-cent stamps on an envelope. Go to a post office and try to buy small denomination stamps, like 25 cent or 40 cent. Zilch. They don't print them anymore.

Anytime you do anything, someone wants to be paid. Drink, pee, breathe.

Pennies cost 4 cents to make? Why doesn't the Treasury offer 2 cents for all the old pennies in America? Because they want them gone.

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. I rarely use cash

I always carry some cash, just in case a store’s system is down, but otherwise it’s debit card.

[rampartd]

5. they have been talking about it for a while

it is essential that a bank somewhere get a cut of every transaction.

[mwmisses4289]

6. It's a great way for businesses to lose customers.

Have the option for both. I use card, mostly, but there are still places and people who will do cash only.

[PJMcK]

7. Cashless society was predicted decades ago

Read Alvin Toffler’s “Future Shock.” Written in 1970, he makes many observations about the evolution of our civilization and people’s abilities to cope with the increasing rate of change.

Among many other things, he predicted that we would eventually migrate to a cashless economy.

It’s an excellent book that I highly recommend.

[Scrivener7]

8. I think it's true but, ever the contrarian, I'm going more cash based. I'm just sick of

everything being tracked. Also, (shakes fist and yells at passing cloud) kids should learn how to count back change.

[bluestarone]

9. Agree. I never want to see this happen.

It just does not seem like America anymore, if that does happen.

[PatSeg]

10. Yeah, I don't like that everything we do

and everywhere we go can be tracked if we're using a card. A great way to control a society.

I agree, it is frustrating that young people can't count back change.

[multigraincracker]

11. Can we still take a chicken to the doctor?

[highplainsdem]

12. Besides the tracking, there's the credit card fee, and even if businesses apparently pay it, it's passed

along to customers.

[bluestarone]

13. Yes, where we pay for propane, if we use a card there is a bank fee.

Pay by check or cash , no problem.

[berniesandersmittens]

14. It would affect the homeless an poor very badly

They'd have to get a phone, pay for service, and have even harder access to donations.

[bluestarone]

15. Yes it would. Very few will care

I'm afraid. SADLY.

[Ms. Toad]

16. It's actually going the opposite direction, as more and more places

Charge customers for using a card. We are certainly using a lot more cash - if there is a fee for using a card, we pull out the cash.

And, as someone else just pointed out - not everyone has the ability to go cashless. Removing the ability to pay in cash would make it nearly possible for the poor, homeless, not credit-worthy, and unbanked to participate in our economy.

[Sneederbunk]

17. Soon panhandler will be equipped with handheld point of sale terminals.