Visa-vis with cards, cash is king as far as I’m concerned

EXACTLY ten years ago this week, I was on holidays in Massachusetts. Our first stopping point was Martha’s Vineyard, where almost all of the original Jaws film had been shot more than three decades previously.

For reasons that escape me now, I didn’t have a credit card with me. But I wasn’t even remotely concerned about that as I’d paid for the accommodation in

advance. When we checked in at the hotel, they asked to take a swipe of my credit card in case I ran up any additional charges. I explained that I only had an ordinary ATM card on me, but would willingly leave a cash deposit with them.

Two things stick in my mind. The first is that they only asked for a $10 guarantee, although I presume they would have come looking for more if I’d started making transatlantic phone calls or ordering bottles of Pol Roger on room service.

The other thing I remember is how the chap on reception seemed to be utterly baffled as to how I was going to get through a holiday without the services of Visa or Mastercard. Looking back at it, I suspect he may even have feared for my sanity. It clearly didn’t occur to him that I was happy to go the nearest bank machine whenever I needed to withdraw cash, which is what I did.

Before that moment, the extent to which America had already become a cashless society hadn’t really dawned on me.

I certainly never expected to see things going in the same direction here, but they clearly are.

So it will be interesting to see if last Friday’s technical hitch at Visa has any impact on changing trends. Whether you’re heading for the supermarket, pub or elsewhere, there is a lot to be said for going out with just enough cash in hand.