Consumers ‘blocked from using cash’

Around one in five consumers have been blocked from paying with cash in recent months as lockdown rules have eased, according to Which?

The consumer group carried out two separate surveys, covering more than 3,000 people in total, to gauge their experience of payments.

One was a phone survey, to include consumers who may be less digitally capable and potentially more dependent on cash. The second survey was carried out online.

Around a fifth (18%) of people in the phone survey reported being unable to pay with cash at least once when trying to make purchases between April and July, as coronavirus restrictions were gradually being lifted.

Eight in 10 (84%) consumers believe businesses and shops should continue to accept cash, the consumer group found.

Jenny Ross, Which? Money editor, said: “Cash is still a vital way to pay for millions of consumers, so it’s very concerning to see many people still reporting difficulties when trying to spend their notes and coins, even as the country moves out of lockdown restrictions.”