Do you regret the increasing difficulty of paying for something with cash?

First off, of course banks and credit cards want to make money from handling customer transactions - that's why they are in the banking industry. The like money. It is THEIR job. I have no problem paying for items in cash in brick and mortar stores. Even expensive items. If people look at you funny, oh well. No doubt they are suspicious of your ability to pay in cash because they would never be so self-reliant as to be able to have that much cash on them. I don't know of any job that can't pay you without a bank account, unless it is a totally internet based position, and even then they can usually send you a check with a surcharge. You are always able to cash a check at the bank it was drawn on (although you may have to pay a fee). I prefer using an online bank acount for online purchases. It keepts commerce flowing smoothly without having to wait for mail.

It's extremely annoying, I had a voucher for an online store which was enough for the item and the p&p but I still needed a credit/debit card to pay the outstanding nothing. I know someone who was forced to open a bank account just because she wouldn't get paid without one, but I suppose the majority are catered for and the minority are forced to change, even if they really don't want to.

I can't keep cash on me. Everytime I have it, it's gone within a couple of days. So, I need my debit card to get by.

I'd like to go back to the days where cash was the most acceptable way to pay for things. You're right. Sometimes today people look surprised when we say we want to pay in cash. I like having credit card and paypal purchases online, because I love shopping on line. I can find more different things online than wandering through store after store, and I don't have to go out in the weather and fight the traffic and the parking situation to do it. But when I go out, I plan to continue paying with cash just like I've always done. That is, until cash becomes obsolete!

yes, up until very recently, cash was my only possibility. I only got a credit card within the last couple of months because there were so many things which I either couldn't do without one or which were easier with one. I wanted to verify my paypal account but I had to have a card for that so, after abouut 2 years of having an account I have finally been able to verify it! I have always been a believer in "if you can't sfford it, you don't have it" but then you do get the problem sometimes when you have no choice and have to borrow money because your bills are due before payday or whatever. I must admit that having a credit card has come in very handy but I still prefer to pay cash for things as much as possible.

Yes and most of them accept payment with credit cards, what if you don't have one? Same goes with paypal, some insitutions or company require a verified account and this makes things difficult either to withdraw or receive money.

Banks are in business to make money firstly and they have a duty to their shareholders to do so. In Australia the greatest majority of employers have been paying wages/salaries by direct debit or by cheque for at least 15 years now. Most would pay by direct debit though and the reason for that is security reasons due to robberies etc. I was almost a victim of a holdup on payday but luckily someone tipped off the police so they caught the robbers before they got into the Pay Office. We were warned of course in case the police didn't get them in time and it was not a pleasant experience waiting to find out whether or not we would be safe. That is the same reason why lots of businesses would rather be paid by credit card or EFTPOS than in actual physical cash, i.e. the risk of robbery. I think we just have to accept that paying with cash for larger items is not the safest way to do business. Also if you personally are carrying a large amount of cash, you are at risk so it safer to pay by some other method.

I try to pay cash whenever I can. Although I can understand the reasoning behind being paid straight into the bank, I find it frustrating as I either have to pay bus fare to the nearest bank or pay a charge on the local cash machines to have access to my own money. The best thing about paying with cash is that you can't accidentally go over the limit.

Yes, it can be Frustrating when you see and find places that are like this. It even can be quite alarming as well. And even so many places these days continue to want to charge elaborate fees if you do not pay them via your Bank or in a check and it makes you wonder for sure. Sometimes I think life was a lot easier back in the day and think that we could all benefit if some things were still like that for sure.

Yes I do regret the increasing difficulty to paying for something with cash. Simply because the buy now and pay later is something that is becoming to convenient for many. Though I have never maxed out on any bank card, I find it easy to whip out the debit card and pay for my transactions. It is the debit card account fees which gets me to date. See if I only used my cash to buy milk and gasoline for my car, then later in the month I could actually have an extra $15 bucks in my purse and not in the hands of the bankers. Now that I have been stricken with not being a regular wage earner that $15 fee really hits home, because not easy to have earned it yet so easy to be forced to give'th. I also dislike that if I go to the grocery store and hand them a $100 dollar bill they look at me and say don't you have anything smaller. I wonder at the moment if my money is not good enough, and if I did wouldn't I have handed that to them? lol The other thought too is that they examine thoroughly the $20 dollar bill and taking a glimpse at me as if they could somehow read if I was a counterfeiter. While I understand the reasons for safety and all that my list can go on but actually I prefer to use my cash regardless of how the retailers feel. lol

I think that eventually "cash" will be phased out. It might not be for another couple of generations. But the powers that be will decide that it costs too much money to produce and is a far safer and more convenient method for us to all have a card of some description. I hope I never live to see that day.