New research: majority of Brits support making it legal requirement for businesses to accept cash
The Payment Choice Alliance, an organisation that campaigns for the UK public to have the legal right to spend their cash when and where they choose to do so, has published research by YouGov.
A survey of 2,101 people conducted last week shows that: only 3% of the British public never use cash; 12% of people want the UK to become a cashless society and 69% oppose it.
71%, meanwhile, would support making it a legal requirement for British businesses to accept notes and coins. Only 7% oppose this idea.
Ron Delnevo, Chairman at the Payment Choice Alliance, says: “This very latest measurement of UK public opinion underlines how committed the majority of the public are to cash.”
“The fact that with all the alternatives available to them only 3% report that they never use cash is a huge vote of support for the British pound and what it stands for in the minds of the British public.”
He adds: “It is time for all businesses that are seemingly pushing to make the UK a so called “cashless society” to put the British public first.”
“Such businesses need to respect the firmly expressed preferences of the British public, who are their customers. In short, they must forget “cashless” and fully commit to ensuring cash always has a place as a UK payment choice.”
Delnevo argues that, whether it is convenience, freedom of choice, managing their spending or the desire not to have their lives completely monitored and controlled that motivates them, it is clear the public want to be able to use their cash when and where they choose to do so.
Political parties with an eye on the next general election would be wise to wake up to this major public concern, he adds.
He concludes: “Payment choice is a vote winner; “cashless” quite definitely is not.”
“Of course, payment choice need not become an election issue. The simplest way of avoiding this is for the current government to ensure a Payment Choice Act is passed in 2023. The Payment Choice Alliance and, most importantly, the British public, would strongly welcome this outcome.”
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