CUSTOMERS are increasingly using cash to pay for purchases despite predictions to the contrary, new figures show.
Cash is now used for 60 per cent of all sales, up from 54 per cent last year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. In terms of value, cash is now used for 34 per cent of retail spending compared with 32 per cent a year ago.
Stephen Robertson,
the BRC director-general, said: "Reports of the death of cash are premature. Cash is not only alive, it's thriving.
"Hard-up customers are increasingly reluctant to spend money they haven't actually got in their hands. While total retail spending continues to grow, there is a widening gap between the amount spent in cash and the amount spent using cards, suggesting customers want to keep tight control of their finances."
The BRC criticised card companies for pushing cashless payment methods to boost their revenue. It said customers did not realise retailers were charged an average of 2p for processing a cash transaction, 8p for a debit card and 34p for credit cards.
Retailers who responded to the survey were charged £516 million in 2007, of which 82 per cent (£424 million) was for card payments.
Mr Robertson added: "The BRC has consistently said these unjustifiable charges cost customers because they are so high retailers are forced to pass them on. As banks move to replace cash, they must acknowledge the very low costs they actually incur.
"Banks should not be exploiting new payment systems as a way of taking extra money from shoppers.
"There should be a lower fixed fee per transaction which actually reflects the cost of processing, so new technology brings balanced benefits to retailers, consumers and banks."
The full article contains 294 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
