With its soaring glass windows, rustic timber beams and line of hanging plants, Pablo & Rusty’s cafe in the Sydney CBD is a haven of hipness. So it’s not exactly a surprise to learn the cafe is at the front line of a wave of businesses in our capital cities that are going cashless.
While some business owners complain about the hidden costs of tap-and-go, others like the 36-year-old Tate have embraced it. “Data is becoming an increasing part of running a business, and through our app, for example, we can capture little bits of information, like the types of coffee people are drinking.”
Since their introduction in Australia in 2007, contactless cards have become the preferred payment method, with more than 82 per cent of consumers using their microchip-embedded credit or cash cards at least once a week, according to a Mastercard survey three years ago.Over the past year, however, there has been a backlash in the US against the rising crop of cashless stores.
The move towards a cashless society does seem inevitable, however, especially as digital payments become available to all sections of the population. “Cash is becoming less popular,” notes Tate. “It’s hard to see that reversing.”
The small business objection is that it is traceable and therefore taxable!!! If they were genuine they’d embrace it as a more efficient payment method.
Also it makes it hard for cash in hand services.