No One Should Need a Password to Buy a Loaf of Bread

By Frane Maroevic, Director General, International Currency Association

In a world rushing towards digital everything, it’s easy to forget the simple things. Like how it feels to buy a loaf of bread directly from another person. No digital intermediaries, no passwords, no battery, no updates. Just hand over money, from hand to hand.

When businesses go cashless, they don’t just change how they do business.
They change who they do business with.

They quietly lock out people who cannot, or will not, tap and pay.

Not everyone has a smartphone. Not everyone has a bank account. Not everyone has the luxury of being online all the time. Some are elderly. Some are new to the country. Some are living day to day, with no permanent address for a digital ID. Some simply do not want to be part of surveillance capitalism.

In these moments, cash is not old-fashioned. It is the last line of defence against digital exclusion.

You shouldn’t need to remember a password to buy your groceries. You shouldn’t need a good credit score to get food. You shouldn’t need an app just to exist.

Cash is about human contact. Because when we choose cash, we choose dignity over data, and people over passwords. We keep the door open for our neighbours, our elders, and even strangers who just want to buy a loaf of bread—no questions asked.

So keep cash flowing. Use it at least once a week. You’ll be doing more than making a purchase, you’ll be making a statement.