Society Talk

Cash is disappearing. Is a cashless society fair to older people?

Accountant, UK. I'm broadly in favour of digital payments - fewer errors, easier records, less fraud in some areas. But I've been helping my mum, who is 79, and it's made me rethink.

Her local bank branch closed. The bus wants contactless. The car park wants an app. She has a basic phone and doesn't want a smartphone. She's not confused, she just doesn't want her life run through a screen.

Some countries are going nearly cashless very quickly. Others are passing rules to protect access to cash. Where do you stand? Who gets left behind, and is that an acceptable price?