Euros, Pounds Sterling or credit card better

[wowzz]

16 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

This is now very rare. Part of the culture change in moving away from cash to contactless cards was removing the inhibition (on both sides of the counter) against tapping for tiny amounts - even just for a few pence.

Agreed - I haven't seen a minimum spend requirement for years. 

[kevey]

Not wishing to hijack this thread re my minimum spend comment, but there are a few local cash and carry/independent supermarket style outlets in Greater London that have a minimum spend of £3 to £5 before they will accept card payments  

Edited March 9, 2023 by kevey

[Host Bonjour]

On 3/9/2023 at 1:51 PM, kevey said:

Not wishing to hijack this thread re my minimum spend comment

 

There still are minimums here too in certain places. It might not necessarily be in accordance with POS terms & agreements for the vendors, but it is a legit cost of doing business for the merchants and so as a cost, it can add up.

 

Also, for whatever reason, as much as I'm routinely waving my phone to pay these days, in an odd moment I sometimes finding myself grabbing for bills... I guess usually in smaller places like bodegas and what not.. and they've all mostly got tap and pay terminals too. Who knows? 

 

Honestly, in summer here, down in the subway or stuck somewhere on a busy road in traffic, it's amazing to find someone selling dollar waters out of an ice cold cooler, and that was no different in Rome or Hong Kong or the Carib, so having the cash is critical. I always keep around the same amount of walking around money on me as I would at home (and aware of how to replenish if needed), which is not much, but enough for basics or a small unplanned thing. I've had my bag stolen only in my home city, (in bar section of a restaurant during happy hour) and it was half my fault for where I had it. That was the one and only time in decades on four continents. (Also, Midtown wasn't yet the glam factory it is now.) 

 

Cards are optimal, but the Apple or Google pay (or fill in the comparable...) even better, since you don't have to unzip anything and pull out a card, plus, if you've got the phone set up right with security, someone can't grab your phone, unlock it quick and start spending: at least not fast enough for you to lock the cards attached to the Apple or Google pay and shut it down. Make sure you have decent phone replacement insurance!

 

 

[DLR51]

On 3/8/2023 at 1:23 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Love just pulling out the phone to tap to pay 

Thank you! We have not traveled to UK or EU since Covid and don't know the "new" normal.