Half of Britons encouraged to pay cash in past two months

Summarised from This is Money's report · Updated 16 Oct, 11:14 · Archive

More than half of British shoppers say they have been encouraged to pay in cash in the past eight weeks.

More than half of British shoppers (54 per cent) say they have been encouraged to pay in cash in the past eight weeks, according to research for This is Money by Link, the UK's biggest ATM and cash access network. When asked to do so, three-quarters complete their purchase with physical money. Small businesses are encouraging cash use largely to avoid card processing fees and keep payment choice open for customers.

The encouragement happens mostly at small or independent businesses. Cafés and restaurants rank highest at 22 per cent, followed by independent shops at 19 per cent, hairdressers and beauty salons at 16 per cent, outdoor markets at 12 per cent, then pubs, retail shops and supermarkets at 8 to 9 per cent. Northern Ireland reported the highest exposure to cash encouragement, with 88 per cent of those asked completing a cash purchase as a result.

In a hypothetical scenario, 69 per cent of shoppers say they would pay with cash if asked. Of those, 38 per cent say they would use cash if they had it on them, while the remainder would always carry cash or visit an ATM to withdraw it.

Half of Britons encouraged to pay cash in past two months — Image: This is Money

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Half of Britons say they've been encouraged to make a purchase with cash in past two monthsWith cash usage down drastically in the past decade it appears many small businesses are on a mission to keep it alive.This is Money · 16 Oct, 07:00
Half of Britons say they've been encouraged to make a purchase with cash in past two monthsWith cash usage down drastically in the past decade it appears many small businesses are on a mission to keep it alive.Daily Mail · 16 Oct, 07:00

In this story: Link · Northern Ireland · UK

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