I don't want to derail the thread but every time I hear people say ' Cash is becoming a thing of the past ' it fills me with frustration & an amount of anger

as by not using it were basically digging our own graves regards having the freedom & privacy it brings without everyman & his dog knowing what your up too.
It's been my preferred way of payment since I've been old enough to own a wallet & I'll never stop for anyone.
We will all be turned into robots if were not careful.
I apologize if I sound somewhat old-fashioned but I'm afraid it won't end well.
I have a takeaway business.
Overnight, at covid o'clock, we went from taking 80% cash to taking 80% card.
I hasn't really changed much since.
I far prefer cash. Yes, there's a cost to banking it but i can pay my suppliers in cash and that cost is removed. Everyone still pays their tax.
There's a bit of a stigma that those taking cash are hiding it from the tax man. Not true.
If you take £100 in cash, on goods that cost maybe £35, you have £65 cash margin. Pay your bills, rent, energy, staffing, VAT, repairs etc etc you might be left with £25.
If you pay that £100 into the bank, or take that payment on card, it'll leave you with £24.
It might be only a 1% fee, but by the time it's at the bottom line it's reduced your profit by 4% vs a cash payment spent elsewhere.
Scale that's up to a weeks takings and it's a big hit.
That cost needs recovering so prices go up. The only winner is the payment processors.
Cash only for face to face for me. The fakes are getting better but they can still be spotted.