GOING CASHLESS IN ROCHESTER, NY

When David Morse leaves his house, he always checks to make sure he has his cell phone and his car keys. One thing he rarely carries in his pocket these days, however, is cash.

"It's just so much easier for me to pay for things with my debit card," said Morse, a 35-year-old Rochester resident. "Why add that extra step of going to an ATM every few days to fill up?"

Whether he's buying groceries or a cup of coffee, Morse is one of a growing number of consumers who say they prefer the convenience of cashless transactions.

"The worst part was ending up with all of that pocket change," Morse said. "Coins in my car, on my dresser. ... Managing them and putting them back into my cash flow was a chore. Easier to let all those pennies come out electronically."

In Rochester, like most American cities, the number of businesses that accept credit or debit cards has been steadily rising, but cash is still the single most popular payment method.

Compared to other developed countries, the United States lags behind in the adoption of cashless transactions.

In Sweden, for example, cash is used in less than 2 percent of transactions, according to that country's central bank. Fewer than half of Swedish bank branches keep any cash on hand or accept cash deposits.

Retailers in Denmark are not longer legally required to accept cash payments, and a third of the population uses an app on their mobile phones to pay for goods and services.

"It would make life a lot easier," says Marty O'Sullivan, who owns a barbecue restaurant on Park Avenue in Rochester called Marty's on Park. "I've wanted to go cashless for about three years."

O'Sullivan says there is a cost associated with handling cash that likely exceeds the 3 percent he'd pay in transaction fees. Taking money to and from the bank, ensuring there's enough on hand to make change, and even the act of counting the money takes time.

On top of that, there's concern about theft — either by employees or customers — and there can be loss associated with miscounting change.

"If it's all credit card payments, I really don't have to do anything," he said.

To read the complete article, see:
Do you go cashless? Or do you prefer hard currency? (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/money/2017/07/20/going-cashless-capitalist-society/483819001/)

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