Are we getting closer to becoming a cashless society?

Discussion in 'privacy problems' started by Krusty, Mar 19, 2020.

  1. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    Coronavirus fears mean shops are accepting card payments only. Is this the end of cash?
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-20/will-coronavirus-kill-off-cash-in-australia/12065860
    "So while coronavirus may be making us loathe to actually touch cash, it will be many years, if ever, before Australia's banknotes are killed off."
     
  2. Stefan Froberg

    Stefan Froberg Registered Member

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    "Our boss wants us to minimise hand-to-hand interactions and, obviously, cash carries a lot of germs."

    No less than those filthy debit cards. And I even hate to think how many
    germs are in those shop payment terminals that everyone have typed their PIN code with their crummy little fingers with glee ...
    Yuck!
     
  3. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    FYI:

    "...The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable...up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel..."

    https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces
     
  4. Joxx

    Joxx Registered Member

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    A cashless society only means our governments can control us completely. And that's their aim.
    If our health was their concern they'd have closed borders in late January, or tell us that the reason behind the situation is Italy is the large numbers of Chinese workers in the North.
     
  5. reasonablePrivacy

    reasonablePrivacy Registered Member

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    There are contactless cards. In some countries PIN is not required for transactions up to some small amount of money.
    I wonder whether somebody can disinfect these cards using 62%-71% alcohol-water (ethanol and/or isopropyl) solution and not damage anything on them.

    I don't like the idea of cashless society (with some exceptions such as cryptocurrencies), but I think card and smartphone payments are less germ infested.
     
  6. guest

    guest Guest

    Russia in digital payments push as it limits banknote circulation
    March 24, 2020
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-it-limits-banknote-circulation-idUSKBN21B1D1
     
  7. guest

    guest Guest

    Coronavirus: SF businesses decline cash, fearing it could spread the virus
    March 24, 2020
    https://www.sfchronicle.com/busines...-businesses-decline-cash-fearing-15154292.php
    Blue Bottle buys into cashless trend
     
  8. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    FWIW: In SF it's against the law for a business to refuse cash.

    "San Francisco followed Philadelphia, the country’s first city to ban cashless businesses. Non-compliant companies in San Francisco can get fined between $50 and $100 for the first offense. The new policy doesn’t apply to food trucks and pop-ups."

    https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Cashless-SF-stores-now-must-take-cash-14371473.php
     
  9. guest

    guest Guest

    UK cash usage halves within days as shops close due to coronavirus
    Fears for those without bank cards as shoppers switch to contactless to avoid virus
    March 24, 2020

    https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/24/uk-cash-usage-halves-in-few-days
     
  10. Victek

    Victek Registered Member

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    Whenever possible I use Android "Google Pay" on my phone with NFC - No PIN is required. Also with some apps, such as Starbucks, you can register a credit card and display a barcode for scanning when paying.
     
  11. reasonablePrivacy

    reasonablePrivacy Registered Member

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    I still use cash except for Internet shopping. SARS-CoV-2 spread primarily by respiratory droplets in the air. Being in proximity to other people is far more dangerous than using cash. In addition I can't completely avoid touching any surfaces while in shop or pharmacy. Just wash or disinfect your hands using alcohol-water solution before eating, drinking and just after arriving home. Washing hands with soap is preferable.
     
  12. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    So, I went shopping today... a little saddened to see some shops are only accepting card payments. If I could believe this was just a temporary condition I could live with it, but I'm not so sure. :cautious: :doubt:
     
  13. deugniet

    deugniet Registered Member

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  14. Victek

    Victek Registered Member

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    Hand washing and reducing proximity to others are both important, but why not avoid exchanging cash as well to reduce risk? In my community all of the restaurants are only accepting credit cards and they have the card readers out front so that only customers touch them. Many are moving to online / mobile app ordering so that the whole transaction is taken care of in advance.
     
  15. reasonablePrivacy

    reasonablePrivacy Registered Member

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    I care about privacy and I believe that cash does not increase risk substantially in most situations*, because I am washing hands and do not touch face with unwashed hands.

    *Restaurants and food trucks may be an exception
     
  16. Nightwalker

    Nightwalker Registered Member

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    Well many cards have contactless technology called NFC, so you can pay without having to touch the machine, it works pretty well.
     
  17. reasonablePrivacy

    reasonablePrivacy Registered Member

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    I think cards have RFID chips. NFC is found inside smartphones and can be used by banking apps.
     
  18. Azure Phoenix

    Azure Phoenix Registered Member

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    You might be fine. But what about other people?
     
  19. Nightwalker

    Nightwalker Registered Member

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  20. A_mouse

    A_mouse Registered Member

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    Standing in my local shop last week while the village had no power, I thought about this as I walked back home to go get some cash.

    Cashless works well if you live in a well connected area with a reliable power grid, and have a bank account.
    A lot of the world does not meet those criteria, so a cashless world is impossible.
    Remove the ability to use cash and barter is King.
     
  21. reasonablePrivacy

    reasonablePrivacy Registered Member

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    As I said earlier: I just don't see that much risk added by using cash.

    Power grid is in good shape in my country, but from time to time some bank or payment provider infrastructure doesn't work for a hour or two. For people who use electronic money extensively I would advise at least having account in two different banks. These bank IT infrastructure should be as independent from each other as it could be done. Some money on backup account just to buy food, water, gasoline and other essential things.
     
  22. BriggsAndStratton

    BriggsAndStratton Registered Member

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    You should be washing your hands regularly and obviously not touching your nose, mouth or eyes with them. Yes money can probably transfer germs, but so can a million other things we come in contact with on a daily basis, like produce, items at a market that people touched but did not buy etc... I think cash is here to stay for the time being.
     
  23. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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  24. reasonablePrivacy

    reasonablePrivacy Registered Member

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    It is nonsense for me to use smartphone for payments. You get into the shop. Even if shop has automatically opening doors then you touch refrigerator door handle or something else and your hand is potentially contaminated. Then you touch your smartphone and smartphone is potentially contaminated. Problem with smartphones is that somebody may be calling and you touch your face with it.
    After arriving home and washing your hands you may contaminate your hands with smartphone. People are using smartphones during eating for example.

    If you really want to not handle cash use credit and debit cards. People generally don't touch their faces with cards and don't feel the craving to touch cards during eating at home.
     
  25. xxJackxx

    xxJackxx Registered Member

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    I tell you what, anyone that is worried about any virus living on cash for any period of time, feel free to give me all of your cash.When I go shopping I see everyone touching the keypad for their credit/debit cards. Nobody is disinfecting the keypad between uses. o_O
     
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