The baker that didn't knead to go cashless
Jun 10, 2019
On top of paying £39 each month to rent a card reader she never wanted, British Baker Sarah Denyar also has to cough up £1.85 for each transaction at her Windmill Bakery in East Sussex. In a recent interview with the Mail on Sunday, she explained how she's been caught in a trap, taking on the costs of a card reader only to shackle herself to a system not worth its crust.
'I was talked into installing a contactless card reader by the bank. But every time someone pays using a card a small amount of money is taken by the bank as a charge earned by my business.'
Excerpt from This Is Money article
Even though many of her customers would, like her, prefer to use cash they struggle to obtain the notes and coins they need without a bank branch nearby. She says this is why she finally caved in and agreed to install an electronic card reader.
The problem is not just being felt in her picturesque East Sussex village but is spreading through communities across the country where notes and coins could soon become obsolete.
'But if cash disappears there is a danger card and contactless payment fees will soar without competition. It would be devastating.'
The crisis is so pressing that a 'cash summit' of leading financial industry figures will be held on Wednesday to discuss how to tackle the issue – and ensure that those who wish to use cash can do so.
Without that right, there are signs of a bleaker future.