'Card only!': Nandos' new policy puts restaurant in hot grill

In the digital age, people have more options for paying for their meals.

However, some options may be questionable for its functionality and reliability.

One major fast-food chain announced an unexpected move and brought a kick of spice into the conversation.


Nandos, a popular peri-peri chicken restaurant, took a bold step by going fully cashless at all of their establishments.

The decision caught the public's attention after a social media user posted a photo of a sign from a bustling Nandos outlet.


compressed-nandos.jpeg
A signage at a local Nandos shocked an anonymous user on social media and sparked a debate about cashless payments. Image Credit: Reddit/anoonymous7777


The sign read:

'We're card only! Sorry, guess we're part of the New World Order now. Just kidding, card payments mean we spend less time counting coins and more time perfecting your chicken.'

According to Nandos' official website, the restaurant accepts 'all major credit cards, Paypal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay for online orders' but does not mention cash as an option.

Since then, the Nandos customer base has been divided by this decision.


Some disgruntled patrons expressed their dissatisfaction with the policy.

'Ah well, see ya later, alligator,' one comment read.

'Good to know. Will spend my cash elsewhere,' another wrote.

'It's really easy; just walk straight back out and find a good local business with a decent owner and staff who is open to all forms of remuneration,' a third suggested.

'So what you're saying is I can't get $20 out at the servo, blame high prices and use that 20 to have some cheeky Nandos without the missus knowing. Well, you've lost a customer!'

'Nah, I'm with the seniors on this one, f*** cashless,' a fourth lamented.


On the flip side, some customers supported the restaurant's move.

'Can't recall the last time I used cash,' one said.

'It's immensely preferable to cash only in my opinion, but to each their own,' another wrote.

One pointed out the move's safety and hygiene advantages.

'Not only does it make you vulnerable to being robbed... it's also so dirty! For card payments, you don't have to touch anything mauled and kept in old pockets or wallets,' a third commented.

'As someone who had to count $10,000 cash at the start and end of every shift earlier in his career, thank goodness,' a fourth added.


Nandos employees chimed in on the discussion and shared their experiences with the policy.

'I worked at Nandos for eight months, and I swear people have always lost their minds about it,' one worker commented.

Another, with 18 months at the chain, confirmed that Nandos had been card-only.

'It is annoying when customers try to complain or scold me for it, though. Not much I can do about it—I wasn't even there when the decision was made.'

Nandos confirmed in 2020 that the shift to a cashless system was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Like many food businesses, we've moved to cashless payments to limit the handling of money in our restaurants,' the company stated.

'This supports our heightened hygiene protocols in the wake of COVID-19 and is an extra measure to protect our customers and staff.'


The restaurant's transition to cashless transactions was a heated discussion on social media.

SDC member @Elvenwishes shared their sentiment: 'Nandos in my area do not accept cash anymore; it is all card. So too bad if you don't have enough funds on your card to pay for your food. Also, what happens when the EFTPOS goes down, and you have no cash to pay for your shopping? You just have to leave it in the shop.'

Several restaurants have embraced the cashless lifestyle as well.

In previous news, KFC was the first major fast-food chain to go cashless in Australia.

However, competitors like McDonald's, Hungry Jacks, Domino's, and Red Rooster continue to accept cash and have no plans to fully transition to cashless payments.
Key Takeaways

  • Nandos, a major fast-food chain in Australia, opted for a cashless policy by only accepting card payments at its restaurants and online orders.
  • The decision sparked an online debate as some customers vowed to take their business elsewhere; others supported the move for convenience and safety reasons.
  • Some Nandos workers reported negative feedback from customers who were unhappy with the cashless system.
  • The company confirmed in 2020 that the decision to go cashless was due to the COVID-19 pandemic's hygiene protocols.
What are your thoughts on the cashless movement? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
 
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According to the Constitution CASH is still Legal Tender....have anyone seen or heard of a Referendum to change the law for a Cashless Society.
Any store can state their own rules,cash or card. As long as you are aware before purchasing unfortunately it is perfectly legal.
Just don't purchase there, protest with your feet.
 
We're card only! Sorry, guess we're part of the New World Order now. Just kidding, card payments mean we spend less time counting coins and more time perfecting your chicken.'

What a joke. Yes you have just become a slave to the New World Order. I haven't had fast food in 4 years. And there's another one to cross of the list. Healthier eating everyone.

Oh.and if
2nd April didn’t teach them anything - then good luck Nandos and make sure you have a great legal when you go into your "voluntary" receivership.
 
No issue for me at all to stay away from Nandos. Also McDonalds, who now expect people to do their own order’s on a screen when they enter the store. I took my mother for a drive to Hahndorf yesterday & we popped into a McDonalds store for a cheeseburger & cappuccino. There was a young staff member with a quite elderly man racing through instructions on how to use the ordering system & then walked away. He seemed very confused still & another customer with patience & understanding stepped in to help. WHAT customer service!! Next they’ll want people to cook their own food!
 
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Vote with your feet. Personally I have never eaten at this chain and definitely wouldn’t even consider now.
Cash is still a legal, so it’s their and others that follow this trend, loss.
The problem with paying cash now, is down to the fact that younger people cannot do their maths, can’t figure if change needs to be given.
I have had this particular problem happen in a number of stores and I have had to tell them how much needs to be returned.
Says a lot for the education system.
 
I never eat at Nandos anyway so will not be part of their New World Order. I am still waiting for my new debit card ,almost 2 weeks after I complained about an unsolicited transaction on my last debit card, The bank is incompetent as far as I am concerned . But I will never change to one of the big 4 as I don;t believe they do enough for their clients with cyber crime.
 
No issue for me at all to stay away from Nandos. Also McDonalds, who now expect people to do their own order’s on a screen when they enter the store. I took my mother for a drive to Hahndorf yesterday & we popped into a McDonalds store for a cheeseburger & cappuccino. There was a young staff member with a quite elderly man racing through instructions on how to use the ordering system & then walked away. He seemed very confused still & another customer with patience & understanding stepped in to help. WHAT customer service!! Next they’ll want people to cook their own food!
I fully agree, had same experience 12 months ago at Cessnock McDonalds. I never go to this fast fat food company, however looking after my niece and nephew and they wished to have it, I could not make head or tail of this ridiculous help yourself screen, absolutely no assistance from the under 14s that work there.
The counter was only size of a desk top, and one could not order there, pick up food only.
If this is what people want, well good luck for the future in eating out.
Only good thing about “ Maccas” is the loo and walking back out the doors.
 
I don’t eat take away (not in the budget) plus it’s not healthy….i use cash for my normal shopping and also for as much as i can in other areas. If I run into a business that won’t take cash I’ll no longer shop there…cash is legal tender and no business has any right to refuse it!!
 
card payments mean we spend less time counting coins and more time perfecting your chicken. If you haven't got it right so far why would I bother buying your Peri Peri chicken if it's not already perfected,I don't pay to be your bloody Guinea Pig. I'll cook my own Peri Peri chicken thanks.
 
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Is that situation regarded as discriminatory, when some can't access the business. :unsure:
“That’s not intentional, but it is discrimination.” While cash and coins are legal tender for all debts, there is no federal law that requires businesses to accept them in exchange for goods and services, according to the Federal Reserve’s website.
 
Vote with your feet. Personally I have never eaten at this chain and definitely wouldn’t even consider now.
Cash is still a legal, so it’s their and others that follow this trend, loss.
The problem with paying cash now, is down to the fact that younger people cannot do their maths, can’t figure if change needs to be given.
I have had this particular problem happen in a number of stores and I have had to tell them how much needs to be returned.
Says a lot for the education system.
100% correct.
 

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