Are you ready for a cashless society? How Coles' latest change will affect your shopping routine
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Australia seems like it’s quickly sprinting towards becoming a cashless society.
In fact, it feels like we are just a step away from fully embracing card-based and digital payments. For better or for worse, the days of our beloved coins and notes seem to be dwindling.
In an intriguing new development, supermarket giant Coles is leading the race to cashless transactions, much to the frustration of many customers.
The supermarket has faced significant backlash over the launch of a new store in Brisbane with a key difference.
Do you remember the joy of handling cash, making sure you had the right number of notes and coins for exact change? Well, it seems that era might be winding down. In this new Coles store, there might be no place for those who prefer to pay for their goods with cash.
The new store features a row of self-service checkout machines that have left many customers flabbergasted. Why, you might ask? Well, they all strictly say 'card only'.
A video showcasing these cashless machines quickly found its way to social media, fanning the flames of debate about the rapid movement towards a cashless society.
'The new Coles, no cash machines at all,' the person filming laments incredulously. These words sparked a slew of contentious debates, even triggering calls for boycotting shops that no longer accept cash.
'Everyone needs to only use cash. If they don't accept cash, then don't buy from them,' one impassioned customer responded.
Another vehemently advised, 'Everyone needs to leave the groceries at the checkout and walk off.'
There's more to this moving away from cash than just the convenience of card payments, though. Several pointed out that Coles' march towards self-serve checkouts spells bad news for potential jobseekers, threatening employment in an already competitive market.
The trend does have its fair share of defenders, however, with many accepting the inevitability of a cashless society.
One person commented, ‘Cash is going. Get used to it. Cash, unfortunately, is mostly used by criminals and tax cheats. More and more businesses are declining to do cash transactions.'
Meanwhile, Coles responded to the video by stating that there are still options for customers who prefer to pay with cash in all their stores.
Coles isn’t the first supermarket chain to attempt a venture into cashless transactions. In 2021, Woolworths rolled out a trial for cashless supermarkets but faced significant resistance, leading to the trial's abandonment. The move was branded as an effort to make shopping as seamless as possible for busy inner-city customers.
Ultimately, customers' preference for cash was overwhelming. 'Cash is legal tender, and I do not support the cash ban and will take my money elsewhere,' one customer wrote defiantly on Woolworths' Facebook page.
The verdict on whether Australia is ready to let go of cash is still open to debate.
While it's true the Reserve Bank estimated just 13% of transactions in late 2022 were in cash, critics argue this push towards cashless transactions could be detrimental to older people and those with disabilities who still rely on physical cash.
What do you think of this move by Coles, members? We’d love to read your thoughts in the comments section below.
In fact, it feels like we are just a step away from fully embracing card-based and digital payments. For better or for worse, the days of our beloved coins and notes seem to be dwindling.
In an intriguing new development, supermarket giant Coles is leading the race to cashless transactions, much to the frustration of many customers.
The supermarket has faced significant backlash over the launch of a new store in Brisbane with a key difference.
Coles’ new store in Brisbane accepts cards only as a source of payment. Image source: Shutterstock.
Do you remember the joy of handling cash, making sure you had the right number of notes and coins for exact change? Well, it seems that era might be winding down. In this new Coles store, there might be no place for those who prefer to pay for their goods with cash.
The new store features a row of self-service checkout machines that have left many customers flabbergasted. Why, you might ask? Well, they all strictly say 'card only'.
A video showcasing these cashless machines quickly found its way to social media, fanning the flames of debate about the rapid movement towards a cashless society.
'The new Coles, no cash machines at all,' the person filming laments incredulously. These words sparked a slew of contentious debates, even triggering calls for boycotting shops that no longer accept cash.
'Everyone needs to only use cash. If they don't accept cash, then don't buy from them,' one impassioned customer responded.
Another vehemently advised, 'Everyone needs to leave the groceries at the checkout and walk off.'
There's more to this moving away from cash than just the convenience of card payments, though. Several pointed out that Coles' march towards self-serve checkouts spells bad news for potential jobseekers, threatening employment in an already competitive market.
The trend does have its fair share of defenders, however, with many accepting the inevitability of a cashless society.
One person commented, ‘Cash is going. Get used to it. Cash, unfortunately, is mostly used by criminals and tax cheats. More and more businesses are declining to do cash transactions.'
Meanwhile, Coles responded to the video by stating that there are still options for customers who prefer to pay with cash in all their stores.
Coles isn’t the first supermarket chain to attempt a venture into cashless transactions. In 2021, Woolworths rolled out a trial for cashless supermarkets but faced significant resistance, leading to the trial's abandonment. The move was branded as an effort to make shopping as seamless as possible for busy inner-city customers.
Ultimately, customers' preference for cash was overwhelming. 'Cash is legal tender, and I do not support the cash ban and will take my money elsewhere,' one customer wrote defiantly on Woolworths' Facebook page.
The verdict on whether Australia is ready to let go of cash is still open to debate.
While it's true the Reserve Bank estimated just 13% of transactions in late 2022 were in cash, critics argue this push towards cashless transactions could be detrimental to older people and those with disabilities who still rely on physical cash.
What do you think of this move by Coles, members? We’d love to read your thoughts in the comments section below.
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