We would like the Government to pass a law that requires the right to pay for goods and services with cash. This could include a legal framework that includes penalties for outlets that refuse cash payment and mandates the maintenance of local cash handling infrastructure by the banking sector.
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We believe this is an urgent matter of national security. It has been reported that both Sweden and Norway are reconsidering moving to a cashless society. We think the threat to a cashless society consists of total societal collapse arising from the collapse of digital payment networks or the underlying electrical power networks they depend on. We believe that both systems could be vulnerable to cyber attacks by aggressors and solar storms of Carrington event magnitude.
Thursday 19th December 2024
It is for individual organisations to decide whether to accept cash as a form of payment. However, existing regulation protects access to cash and supports the ability of organisations to accept cash.
While the ongoing trend in payments in the UK has been towards the use of cards and other digital payment methods, the Government recognises that non-digital payment methods remain important. Cash in particular continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups.
It is a matter for individual organisations to decide on the forms of payment they choose to accept, including cash. These decisions will be based on a variety of factors, including cost and customer preferences. Research published by the Financial Conduct Authority in 2021 found that 98 per cent of small businesses surveyed would never turn customers away if they needed to pay in cash. However, the Government is committed to maintaining the viability of cash as a payment method for those who choose to use it.
The Government recognises that, in order for cash to remain a viable means of payment, it is important that it is important for individuals to have good access to cash withdrawal facilities. In addition, it is important that those organisations that want to continue to accept cash have ready access to cash deposit services. FCA data for the second quarter of 2023 showed that over 97% of the urban population were within one mile of a free-to-use cash withdrawal or deposit service. Further, the data showed over 98% of the rural population were within three miles of a free-to-use cash withdrawal or deposit service.
However, to continue to safeguard access to cash for those who need it, the Financial Conduct Authority has introduced regulatory rules which protect access to cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for personal and business customers. These rules require the UK’s largest banks and building societies, as part of any decision to close a cash access facility or following a request from a local community, to assess the impact on a local community’s ability to withdraw and deposit cash and to put in place a new service if necessary.
The Government welcomes the Treasury Select Committee’s inquiry into the acceptance of cash, and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury looks forward to giving evidence to the committee in early 2025.
HM Treasury