Letters from Copenhagen

[IanF]

RIP

https://news.sky.com/story/denmark-post ... s-13322922

[GG.]

That is a sea change isn't it.

Cash is next.

[V8Granite]

I was surprised at how many people use cash in Belgium, it’s certainly not going anywhere over here.

Dave!

[Gavster]

Cash is massive in my part of London, some shops are still cash only, or you go in and they say "card machine's not working today". In the local supermarkets there's always a massive queue for the self-checkouts which accept cash too. It's a combination of a) Low income workers (e.g. cleaners, labourers) paid in cash and not declaring the earnings, b) tax avoidance, c) illegal activities such as benefit fraud, drug dealing and prostitution and d) cultural distrust of large instiutions where people would prefer to have cash in a box at home than in a bank.

[dinny_g]

I haven't used cash in years...

[DeskJockey]

From a Danish/Scandi perspective I'm not surprised. They don't have a card tradition like here, so mail is mostly business stuff, and most of that has been digital for over a decade.

They were concerned about mail volumes when I worked in the postal service 20+ years ago.

They've been trying to pivot to parcels for years, but have been hampered by the universal service obligation.

[Beany]

I haven't used cash in years...

Same. I have £20 in my wallet, and it's been there since last summer.

Thinking on it, I can't think of the last time I had any kind of coinage on me either, might well not have been since COVID.

[V8Granite]

There was a big push on Facebook explaining how using only digital money made things ultimately cost more, with different parties taking a tiny slice etc.

We still use cash at the local shops, kids use it as it’s helping them understand money better, where my dad blows live most people use cash.

Dave!

[Rich B]

where my dad blows live most people use cash.

Dave!

Yeah, most “adult” establishments are cash only. Your dads live act sounds pretty niche.

[V8Granite]

where my dad blows live most people use cash.

Dave!

Yeah, most “adult” establishments are cash only. Your dads live act sounds pretty niche.

That was supposed to say inlaws

Dave!