IT·Science Talk

I took my shop card-only two years ago. Mixed feelings now

I run a small shop selling homewares in Bristol. Two years ago I stopped taking cash: fewer trips to the bank, no float to count, and card fees seemed worth it for the time saved.

Most customers didn't blink. But every week someone apologises because they only have cash, often older customers, sometimes kids with pocket money. And during a card network outage last year, I made zero sales for half a day, which was a very long half a day.

I'm thinking of taking cash again, at least for small amounts. Is that going backwards, or just resilient? Do other shop owners here have a view?