Cash? 3 weeks in UK with only cards

[MollyJones]

Have just completed 3 weeks in England and Scotland without using any cash.

Between us, we had MrJones with 28 degrees for day to day and Amex for hotel security. I used an UP debit card, and BoM Amplify visa as a back up for just in case.

Used apple wallet/watch 99.9% of the time.
I also connected my UP card to my oyster card account for easy travel on the tube. So much quicker and easier than fumbling around with cards (PTV and MYKI take note).

There was only 2 occasions where cash would have been helpful - once when the card didn’t work in a paid loo at Covent Garden ( their machine wasn’t working so I explained my plight and the attendant let me in anyway) and once with a cab who had a card accepted sticker on his window but preferred cash. He was paid with the card anyway.

In my regular day to day, I rarely use cash anyway so it wasn’t a change to my day to day practise anyway.
It certainly was doable and felt more secure than cash (or the ancient travellers cheques from my younger days)

 

[Princess Fiona]

I don’t really use cash in the UK and haven’t done so for years.
Same for the USA except I keep small notes for tips.

I have a Scottish £50 note that I keep especially for London taxis that the EFTPOS machine isn’t working.
It miraculously resets itself when this note is produced for payment.

 

[RooFlyer]

Have just completed 3 weeks in England and Scotland without using any cash.

I assume you always asked to be charged in the local currency when using your 28degreescard? If so, how often did they charge you in Australian dollars without asking?

 

[MollyJones]

I assume you always asked to be charged in the local currency when using your 28degreescard? If so, how often did they charge you in Australian dollars without asking?

I haven’t had any issues with fhis for many years.

 

[andye]

I don’t really use cash in the UK and haven’t done so for years.
Same for the USA except I keep small notes for tips.

I have a Scottish £50 note that I keep especially for London taxis that the EFTPOS machine isn’t working.
It miraculously resets itself when this note is produced for payment.

I always remember Billy Connolly on "legal tender" though the English comedian Michael McIntyre has a skit on Scottish notes also

 

[Viridis]

Have just completed 3 weeks in England and Scotland without using any cash.

Between us, we had MrJones with 28 degrees for day to day and Amex for hotel security. I used an UP debit card, and BoM Amplify visa as a back up for just in case.

Used apple wallet/watch 99.9% of the time.
I also connected my UP card to my oyster card account for easy travel on the tube. So much quicker and easier than fumbling around with cards (PTV and MYKI take note).

There was only 2 occasions where cash would have been helpful - once when the card didn’t work in a paid loo at Covent Garden ( their machine wasn’t working so I explained my plight and the attendant let me in anyway) and once with a cab who had a card accepted sticker on his window but preferred cash. He was paid with the card anyway.

In my regular day to day, I rarely use cash anyway so it wasn’t a change to my day to day practise anyway.
It certainly was doable and felt more secure than cash (or the ancient travellers cheques from my younger days)

Same. Did 4wks recently on card only. But I have UK Mastercard & Amex which makes life easy. But 2wks in Vietnam on the way back with only about A$100 spent in cash

Life is, happily, getting a bit easier

Post automatically merged: Apr 20, 2023

I have a Scottish £50 note that I keep especially for London taxis that the EFTPOS machine isn’t working. It miraculously resets itself when this note is produced for payment.

That’s brilliant. I’m going to make a day trip to Scotland next time just to get a £50 note

 

[SYD]

I assume you always asked to be charged in the local currency when using your 28degreescard? If so, how often did they charge you in Australian dollars without asking?

Some of the machines ask you (usually only if you insert the card) but obviously select “No”! Pretty sure I never saw it offered on tapping.

I like to have a little cash with me but agree you can get by without it. But at least ATMs in the UK are generally fee free.

I load my Oyster card with any loose coins!

 

[RooFlyer]

I load my Oyster card with any loose coins!

How do you do that and do you need an Oyster card these days? Will be in the UK soon and nervous about everything I've forgotten ....

 

[Lynda2475]

I didnt need any cash in UK (England and Scotland) last year either.

Instead of Oyster card you can just tap your debit/credit card.

 

[VPS]

How do you do that and do you need an Oyster card these days? Will be in the UK soon and nervous about everything I've forgotten ....

The only reason I still use an oyster card is because I have a seniors railcard and it gives discount which you don’t get if you use a debit card. I wouldn’t use an international card because of the fees. Many toilets still want cash and some small car parks in the country won’t take cards

 

[Lynda2475]

I wouldn’t use an international card because of the fees.

Plenty of debit cards with no foreign transaction fees.

Many toilets still want cash

Never had to pay to use a toilet in UK - just pee in toilets at hotel, restaurant where you eat lunch/dinner, museum, theatre, department store all free.

 

[clifford]

The only reason I still use an oyster card is because I have a seniors railcard and it gives discount which you don’t get if you use a debit card. I wouldn’t use an international card because of the fees. Many toilets still want cash and some small car parks in the country won’t take cards

I also use an Oyster card, my senior railcard being one of the reasons. Also, I prefer the certainty of knowing that I can only be charged a max of what's on the Oyster card, rather than a potentially larger, unknown amount from a credit/debit card if things go awry (as they do sometimes on TfL). In addition, you can use the Oyster at LGW to get the reduced TfL fares to East Croydon and beyond, which I don't believe you can with a credit card.

And as for cash, you just never know when you might need it, and not having any might be embarrassing or worse. I always carry some local cash wherever I am, and in the case of the UK, I also carry my cash card for my local UK bank account.

 

[Brissy1]

Plenty of debit cards with no foreign transaction fees.



Never had to pay to use a toilet in UK - just pee in toilets at hotel, restaurant where you eat lunch/dinner, museum, theatre, department store all free.

Yes it's what I do (in AU too), seniors note... never let a chance go by.

It will be nice when the rest of the world catches up with AU, I haven't used or carried cash here for years, but did get caught out at Coles and their gold coin trolleys.

 

[SYD]

How do you do that and do you need an Oyster card these days? Will be in the UK soon and nervous about everything I've forgotten ....

I got a visitor Oyster card years ago and yes, I can use 28° (which I’m doing here in NYC linked to OMNY) or ING (or any Debit/CC), but i was able load it with old notes and coins

 

[Welsh-Kiwi]

I'm heading to London at the end of the year and have bought us 3 x Visitor Oyster cards to use.

 

[SYD]

I'm heading to London at the end of the year and have bought us 3 x Visitor Oyster cards to use.

How much did you pay?

As above, you can use pretty much any debit/CC (preferably one with no international tx fee) to tap in/out of the Tube/buses etc So long as you use the same card each time, you get the same caps and discounts as an Oyster card.

Contactless and mobile pay as you go

Use a contactless bank card or mobile device to pay as you go on all our transport services

tfl.gov.uk

 

[Viridis]

It will be nice when the rest of the world catches up with AU, I haven't used or carried cash here for years, but did get caught out at Coles and their gold coin trolleys.

I haven't used (or carried) cash in Australia for years either.

But I'm not sure who's catching up with who - I assume that you're in Queensland but the Sydney travel card (Opal) is lifted from the TfL Oyster template including the pay by credit card rather than Opal card option

I also use an Oyster card, my senior railcard being one of the reasons. Also, I prefer the certainty of knowing that I can only be charged a max of what's on the Oyster card, rather than a potentially larger, unknown amount from a credit/debit card if things go awry (as they do sometimes on TfL).

Never experienced that with TfL but if you use a credit card you are generally protected. I always use a credit card and tapping with the phone offers extra security if that is a concern

And as for cash, you just never know when you might need it, and not having any might be embarrassing or worse. I always carry some local cash wherever I am, and in the case of the UK, I also carry my cash card for my local UK bank account.

I would never be 'embarrassed' (not sure what 'worse' might be) if I was somewhere that demanded cash and I didn't have it - I would be more wondering why the vendor was still expecting cash in 2023. Even buskers offer a cashless option now with the Square tap device. You have to make it easy for people to buy your product - it's pretty basic business sense.

............ and some small car parks in the country won’t take cards

Not my experience. All of the car parks we used (big towns & tiny villages) offered payment via an app - plug in the car registration and the car park code and you can pay via a card or Apple Pay - and extend if necessary. The only restriction I could think of was that you may need access to the UK iTunes store (easy enough to organise if you're keen on not being lumbered with a pocket full of £2 coins at the end of your trip) and the only irritation was that the providers weren't common - each of the councils went their own way and I needed 3-4apps on my phone. But I retain my accounts and just re-download the App each year.

I wouldn’t use an international card because of the fees.

As was stated there are plenty of fee free options but even if you use an Australian credit card the fee is only about 30c on a £6 fare - I'd wear that for the convenience

 

[VPS]

Not my experience. All of the car parks we used (big towns & tiny villages) offered payment via an app - plug in the car registration and the car park code and you can pay via a card or Apple Pay - and extend if necessary. The only restriction I could think of was that you may need access to the UK iTunes store (easy enough to organise if you're keen on not being lumbered with a pocket full of £2 coins at the end of your trip) and the only irritation was that the providers weren't common - each of the councils went their own way and I needed 3-4apps on my phone. But I retain my accounts and just re-download the App each year.


As was stated there are plenty of fee free options but even if you use an Australian credit card the fee is only about 30c on a £6 fare - I'd wear that for the convenience

just because you haven’t encountered it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. Trust me if I could have used a card or an app I would have

 

[Viridis]

just because you haven’t encountered it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.

I’ll consider myself told

 

[clifford]

I would never be 'embarrassed' (not sure what 'worse' might be) if I was somewhere that demanded cash and I didn't have it - I would be more wondering why the vendor was still expecting cash in 2023. Even buskers offer a cashless option now with the Square tap device. You have to make it easy for people to buy your product - it's pretty basic business sense.

Here's an example of where cash might be useful.

A few years ago, my wife was "caught short" on Clapham Junction station, and the only way she could relieve herself was to pay 50P (in coins) at one of the station's lav's. Could have been embarrassing (or worse)...

And don't try and travel on a local bus in Thailand without it..