Indy.com
Today:
Cashless society coming soon ala Starbucks.
I went to Starbucks this morning to get a coffee. Nothing unusual in that. However, as I was waiting in line I went to get my money clip and realized I had left it at home. OK, no problem. I reached into my wallet and pulled out my trusty debit card - then a thought ocurred to me that went something like this:
"I am ordering a $3.50 item at a drive thru and I am going to pay with a debit/credit card. That just doesn't seem right to me."
The feeling was so strong, I was tempted to order something else I absolutely didn't want just to pump up the bill a little. At least that way I wouldn't feel as creeped out about using plastic to buy $3.50 worth of coffee.
Am I alone in this? Have you ever felt compelled to up your order in a situation like this? Credit cards are accepted everywhere now, including fast food places. As a result, the average tab size has to have gotten smaller. So, theoretically, this small order size shouldn't pose a problem, right? Yet I still felt weird paying for a bill that small with a card.
In the end, the person at the drive thru didn't even bat an eye. I'm sure they see this kind of thing all day....or am I? Cashless society here we come....full steam ahead!
Just this past Friday I bought a $1.25 bottle of soda on my debit card. Sad, but true.
But seriously, what's the difference from our end? Why should we feel bad about it?
I don't even have a problem using the debit card to buy a fifty cent pack of gum. I have a problem, if I have cash on me I spend it up lickity split, so I hardly ever carry cash.
I don't even have a problem using the debit card to buy a fifty cent ...
Yeah, Inotice that too. I carry less and less cash these days and I rely almost entirely on my debit card. Its the same as cash right?
I used to think it was silly to charge a $5 lunch on a credit card, but I just did it an hour ago. Frankly, it's a lot easier than carrying cash. And at the end of the month you can go over your statement to see exactly where your money is going, and adjust your budget accordingly.
Lottery tickets are about all I pay cash for anymore.
I remember I was at some charity event not too long ago, and they had a sign up saying they only accepted checks or debit/credit cards -- no cash allowed!
I felt like (but didn't) reminding them that you can't legally refuse to accept cash. "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private."
Yeah I've been using it for everything for years. I barely carry cash around. It only feels weird if its like a dollar or less.