Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#21

Post by ricardobeat » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:17 PM UTC

In the Netherlands; mostly haven't carried cash for 5-6 years now. Since Apple Pay was enabled here around 2019, the majority of my purchases are through the phone or watch. About once a year there will be some situation that requires cash, usually when traveling.

Even street vendors have debit/pin machines (Zettle/SumUp etc), and with mobile phones starting to be able to act as a receiver there would be no reason to use cash at all. I don't like the privacy implications but it's immensely practical.

For sending money to others, sharing bills etc you use Tikkie which generates a link or QR code that anyone can use to pay you via iDeal (debit).

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#22

Post by art3m » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:17 PM UTC

I didn't use cash for years in Russia, all about card payments and instant bank payments between people. Last year many of POS asking to pay via QR code to avoid card fee (2-3%).

Central Bank will test digital Ruble asset in the recent time, it's some sort of limited conversion currency, like you get a payment for child care and it's possible to use only for limited products to purchase.

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#23

Post by jcfariadias » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:18 PM UTC

Portugal:

P2P payments - MBWay, has taken over by storam and is the defacto method for transfering smaller amounts of money between peers. For example, rent can be payed to landlords via MBWay, cleaning lady, etc. ATMs support it to.

Almost every business allows payment with cards and the central bank is rumored to want to enforce digital payments for every business in the future.

Personally, I hardly use cash now, heck, I hardly use any cards now. I use my phone for almost all payments.

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#24

Post by jojobas » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:18 PM UTC

Australia: almost all cashless. You only get some cash when you buy a used car, pay a tutor or something else like that.

The govt endgame seems to be forcing most of the cash out of circulation, a ban on cash purchases of more that $10000 (with some exceptions) is already in place.

https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-10/28454_fa...

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#25

Post by CalRobert » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:18 PM UTC

jeroenhd wrote: post #15

Netherlands. Only carry cash because I received some as a gift at some point. Only place that I use my cash on is the local barbershop which only takes cash (probably avoids paying taxes that way). I pay everything through contactless payments through my phone or my debit card barring that. Some shops don't even take cash anymore because of how few of their customers paid in cash compared to how risky carrying that c…

Netherlands also here so commenting on yours - I effectively never use cash. I don't actually like this (I prefer privacy), but I also know that my own personal actions won't matter a lot.

I moved here a few months ago from Ireland where cash was still around but a fairly small percentage of retail transactions, but _very_ common for paying for services. Every tradesperson I used wanted me to pay cash and would charge me more if I didn't (they were committing tax fraud). At one point I was expected to have €3,000 in cash just lying around for a stonemason.

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#26

Post by fakecontent000 » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:19 PM UTC

TekMol wrote: post #14

I'm surprised so many here seem to be fine with paying by credit card. Isn't it causing you an uncomfortable feeling, that one company gets all the data about every single thing you buy? And via this also everywhere you go and when you go there? So you are a 100% "see through" person to Apple, Google and/or Visa?

[dead]

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#27

Post by xen2xen1 » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:19 PM UTC

I passed by a coffee shop this morning to go to another one in the US Midwest. The one that I passed takes your credit of debit card inside and does it "the regular way. I often forget to give a tip. The one I went to was newer, used square, made me tap or swipe, but I always give a tip since I'm asked and reminded. This seems to be the pattern, newer places tend to be better. Also in the American Midwest, Dollar General of all places will take every payment system, it's super fast, so there is basically where is always where is test new phones / watches / cards. Walmart, which is pervasive here, only does payments on their app, so no Apple, Google or Samsung pay.

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#28

Post by chironjit » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:19 PM UTC

wheels wrote: post #13

Since nobody's chimed in here from Germany yet: Germany's broadly a hold-out. Particularly a lot of restaurants, bars and clubs are still cash-only, and some smaller shops definitely prefer cash. Used cars are, interestingly, almost always cash-only. Person to person transactions (i.e. buying something you pick up in person) are almost always cash. Open air markets (produce, flea markets) are always cash. Electronic…

To add, Germany is an outlier when it comes to cashless payment adoption, even (and especially when) compared to its neighbours.

Overall, our experience is that it is impossible to be out and about cashless in Germany as there is no telling which bar / beergarten / restaurant / shop only accepts cash.

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#29

Post by smikhanov » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:19 PM UTC

TekMol wrote: post #20

yoz-y wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, the answer is no, I don't care about this at all.

Would you also not care if that dataset gets leaked to the internet some day?

If your bank leaks data, you would be in so much trouble that thinking about privacy implications of that would be pretty low on your list.

That's just your bank. If a global payment processor like Visa would leak data, there probably would be ripples going through most financial system (i.e. whole countries abandoning it, etc).

Re: Ask HN: To what extent have digital payments replaced cash in your country?

#30

Post by nerdbert » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 12:19 PM UTC

ricardobeat wrote: post #21

In the Netherlands; mostly haven't carried cash for 5-6 years now. Since Apple Pay was enabled here around 2019, the majority of my purchases are through the phone or watch. About once a year there will be some situation that requires cash, usually when traveling. Even street vendors have debit/pin machines (Zettle/SumUp etc), and with mobile phones starting to be able to act as a receiver there would be no reason to…

Same here, haven't touched cash in the Netherlands in years.

It's interesting to see how it varies in other European countries. In Germany and Belgium you kind of have to carry some cash or you will find yourself unable to pay at many small restaurants and shops.

On the other hand, in Sweden, Spain, UK, etc., I also never touch cash. I have been to Sweden multiple times and I have no idea what Swedish money even looks like.