I prefer the old-fashioned way: exchanging or giving without asking for anything in return.
The current system is falling apart, like cryptocurrency, for example.
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Cash can be tracked, see this article by netzpolitik.org Bargeld-Tracking: Du hast Überwachungsinstrumente im Portemonnaie - netzpolitik.org
Seems like the advertising industry isn’t tracking cash, so that would be an advantage.
from my understanding this article says there could in theory be infrastructure to trace notes based on serial numbers, but this doesn’t actually happen. is that correct? In practice I don’t think this changes much.
When a person uses paper money, they may leave fingerprints on it, and the more people who use that bill, the less likely it is that anyone will know who used it.
Those fingerprints can also be traced by malicious actors, if that were to happen.
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Cash makes mass surveillance unfeasible, which is all that matters for most people who aren’t targeted.
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The article says the infrastructure for it is being build. And how expansive the tracking already is depends on the country.
As long as you spend it at merchants who don’t record details it still would give good privacy guarantees.
Agreed, but I’m seeing more and more shops with “cashless” signs in the window like it’s some kind of flex.
I can only assume counterfeit notes have gotten so good that there’s now less chance of fraud by going the EFT route.
There’s a hot dog joint near where I live that is cashless. I asked them about it and they said they did it during covid and just kept it that way because it is “cleaner”.
Meanwhile there’s a tip jar on the counter full of bills. Absurdity.
This is a big issue. I always ask if they have a cash discount and I am frequently told it is the same price. I’ll only ask for the cash discount at a privately owned restaurant or bar or some such thing. Sometimes they have a good cash discount, though more often the waitress/bartender I’m talking to just says it is the same price and doesn’t get why a business would/should even offer a cash discount.
I like credit cards for this reason and because I can get rewards that pay for themselves. Buying something at a business with cash that doesn’t offer a cash discount is basically paying a premium for no good reason.
This is a good point. I wonder what the break even point is for a businesses revenue where it would make sense to not allow cash payment. I just can’t imagine that it is enough to justify refusing a customer’s legal tender.
I see the opposite. Shops in my area have signs that say “cash-friendly town”.
It exists. It’s called the Freedom Dollar (fUSD). Idk about widely used though.
I’m a big fan of cash. If a store only accepts card payments, I simply won’t buy anything there. I’m very consistent about using cash. I have a GrapheneOS phone, and no electronic payment solutions work on it (at least in my country). But I don’t want them to anyway.
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So, when you are going to vacation, are you carrying hundreds of Euros / Dollars if not thousands with you? Considering you are against credit card and hate the idea of a credit card, I assume you don’t have one either. That means if you are planning a vacation, you call the hotel, make a reservation, when they ask for deposit or the complete booking price you tell them you will pay in cash when you arrive and they trust your word for it. And when you go, you carry thousands of Euro/USD with you, because world is very safe place, you arrive to your destination hotel, pay thousands, then rest. When you go to restaurant or go shopping in the city center or whatever tourist attracting center is there, you again carry hundreds of Euros/Dollars with you in cash. You are doing the same routine when you go to theme park, right? You put your cash in your bag, and leave it in the open lockers and hope for the best?
I carry like max 20 Euro with me, and I didn’t even use it for months.
Carrying cash and using it in small shopping is normal, but rejecting credit cards completely is not normal.
Crime is very low in many places, yes.
You don’t need a lot of money at a theme park.
You should be able to keep your wallet on rides or hand it to a friend or attendant. Theme parks are also often surveillance hellscapes, if that helps.
Hotels often have safes to make you feel more comforted with your prized possessions.
Have you been robbed before? Other people have different risk tolerances.
In the US you can carry something for self defense if you are so inclined.
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I’ll go in here.
There are independent businesses that operate the old-fashioned way, and that’s valuable. Their products are authentic, and they aren’t part of the “card” industry.
That’s why it might sound strange.
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Of course there are many small shops which are operating cash only. That is normal. We have these shops, especially family businesses or farms strictly working on cash only. Most of the farms don’t even have a cashier or an employee watching the shop.
But that is only for small shopping in a short distance.
I can’t even go to city center with cash only, and I am living in a metropolitan. Even though my city is one of the safest cities in the world, there are still people who performs criminal acts or on drugs. Going cashless saves a lot of trouble. EU is also working on their own credit card scheme, so very soon we will be free from Visa and Mastercard.
“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” — Benjamin Franklin
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Sorry but my safety and desire to not get stabbed is more important than paying some Euros as cash in a supermarket.
Yeah, people are only getting stabbed because of cash. How could I forget.
Yes. I carry 700 - 1100 Euro with me.
I have a credit card, but use it very seldom.
My advice: Try to adapt to the old ways and don’t be afraid of criminals. Carry something to defend yourself.
And, we know things are changing little by little, but don’t let your guard down.