'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.
That type of referendum would make more sense..than the yes vote or gay marriage referendum s
i personally don’t want a cashless society.
saying cash isn’t safe..what a load of BS.
SERIOUSLY, How often do we loose internet connection..and do you honestly think your hard earned money is safe in the hands of banks.
and how much extra will we have to pay in fees to banks, and businesses if we rely solely on cards.
have you notice that Aldi, and some other outlets charge their customers a fee for using cards.
i believe this will become the norm in the future. So having cash in your pocket means you’re not paying extra for these fees. ( they all add up)

I agree with the constitution that cash is still legal tender. Don’t let a minority group decide on what we should be doing with our hard earned money.
 
Cash is still Legal Tender ,these Criminal Multinationals are not our Friends, once Digital is the Norm Banks will be able to charge Fees to Card Transactions at a whim ,what happens when the Computers crash and theres no way to Pay ,what about Cyber Crime also
 
That type of referendum would make more sense..than the yes vote or gay marriage referendum s
i personally don’t want a cashless society.
saying cash isn’t safe..what a load of BS.
SERIOUSLY, How often do we loose internet connection..and do you honestly think your hard earned money is safe in the hands of banks.
and how much extra will we have to pay in fees to banks, and businesses if we rely solely on cards.
have you notice that Aldi, and some other outlets charge their customers a fee for using cards.
i believe this will become the norm in the future. So having cash in your pocket means you’re not paying extra for these fees. ( they all add up)

I agree with the constitution that cash is still legal tender. Don’t let a minority group decide on what we should be doing with our hard earned money.
There is absolutely no reference to cash in ANY constitution here or elsewhere around the world, not what a constitution is for. The provider of the goods or services is "at liberty to set the commercial terms upon which payment will take place before the 'contract' for supply of the goods or services is entered into". This is the RESERVE BANK regulation on payment, nothing whatsoever to do with legislation or constitution. Some European countries trying to stamp out the black economy of 'cash is king' and easy to hide regulate card only payment for many services, ie. taxi's (a well known tax haven).
 
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.
Has absolutely nothing to do with the 'constitution' it's Reserve Bank responsibility. They have met the requirement with putting up a sign saying card only payment. That's all they have to do, same with cash only operations.
 
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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!!
Unfortunately they do, read the ACCC website.
 
Has absolutely nothing to do with the 'constitution' it's Reserve Bank responsibility. They have met the requirement with putting up a sign saying card only payment. That's all they have to do, same with cash only operations.
Agree, I'm totally against a cashless society, but I'm also over people saying "it's legal tender", which is true of course,but how many times do they have to be told that it is also perfectly legal for shops to have "card only".h
 
That's okay. They don't have to take cash (or do they?🤔). I don't have to patronage their shop. Easy.

I won't shop anywhere that doesn't take cash. And that will be the supermarkets who decide to do that.
 
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.
It's legal tender but no business has to accept it as long as they have clear signage saying they don't accept cash.
 
Anorthern business I'm boycotting.
100% correct.
Well it looks like another business will lose a full days sales when the WIFI goes down. Card only is convenient. But I like to support small business with Cash! The banks control us with all their fees, Your $15 Nandos you pay a fee to swipe your card. So does Nando taking your card. The Banks are the winners.
 
Well it looks like another business will lose a full days sales when the WIFI goes down. Card only is convenient. But I like to support small business with Cash! The banks control us with all their fees, Your $15 Nandos you pay a fee to swipe your card. So does Nando taking your card. The Banks are the winners.
I have NEVER paid a fee for using a card ... I use a Visa debit card so it operates the same as EFTPOS and there is no fee. Even at ALDI as I insert the card and don't tap and go.
 
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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.
In reply to your statement , if the establishment has a notice on display in their store etc then they are entitled to refuse Cash but there must be a NOTICE on display.
 
That’s what I was thinking too
Same here although I have never seen a Nandos shop - they must be in the cities. I have NEVER had a Maccas either. Had a few KFC (once in a blue moon) Went to local KFC a few months ago and paid cash (rural town in NSW)
 
100% correct. I haven't eaten at this place either - never even seen one. LOL
I also have had this particular problem young staff can't work out the change needed to give to the customer, and I have had to tell them how much needs to be returned or one instance she gave me to much change, so I returned the excess.
 
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And employees can't steal cash, a reason that I have heard often as to why a business has gone cashless.
 
How strange that these `take away` places go on about using and taking cash. Years ago there was a person who did the order and transactions. It still happens in Coffee shops. So the person on the till does not prep or touch food. But, if shortage of staff and the `person on the till` had to touch food, one automatically washed hands. So, it took a couple of more minutes. But really, Hygiene is still the method to use. Is it not.
 
Cash is and will always be legal tender. No cash payments and you will be boycotted by more people than you realise. 😡😡😡
 
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