It's here, arrived today.

[fygjam]

My slim wallet (aka minimalist wallet, front pocket wallet).

File photo. https://aviatorwallet.com/collections/aviator-wallet-ultimate-slim-wallet

Two credit card sized slabs of aluminium (carbon fiber or titanium also available) held together with elastic straps.

Since the pano began in 2020 I use cash exactly once per year. To pay the guy who does my firebreak. And as I'm at home when he comes, it's no problem to reach under the mattress for the readies.

For everything else I use a card.

There are a number of styles/brands available including the inevitable Chinese knockoffs. I went with this one because, with adjustment, it can hold up to 20 cards. Also all parts are available. Also includes a coin/key tray.

Plenty of YouTube vids on slim wallets.

 

 

[Jambo]

Sorry, I prefer my traditional soft, brown leather wallet. Each to his own. 😉

I drew £30 out of an ATM two weeks ago.

Same day, I paid £10 cash at my nearest (of six) local Turkish money launderers for a haircut. I still have the remaining £20 notes in my wallet, plus a pound coin for the supermarket trolley when I go main weekly shopping on Friday.

My local Bank of Scotland branch closes for good in June. The nearest branch will then be 50 minutes away, unless that is closing as well?

We are fast becoming a cashless society.

Three years ago, during my first week back in Edinburgh, I managed to find a pub in the City centre which did not accept cash!  For all I know, that is not unusual.

Edited March 17, 2025 by Jambo

[biggles]

Here in the Philippines, there are many places where access to technology, wifi, text messaging etc is very patchy. My partners family have a large farm on Leyte Island and have go to a high point to access with their phones. 

Additionally, Brownout (power outages) are common. We are in Angeles City and the local supermarket has no cash register availability quite often. We regularly lose power in our home in a huge sub-division. 

Not to mention the slowing down in queues as customers unfamiliar with tech struggle to access their funds. So no, I for one don't look forward to the growth of cashless here. 

Edited March 18, 2025 by biggles

[forcebwithu]

There's a time and a place for tech, but like the guying buying a small bottle of Leo the other day at Nikom using Prompt Pay, I thought that was neither the time or place for such a small transaction to be using tech.

While he fumbled around doing the 50B transaction on his phone, the cashier was able to take and make change for three other cash paying customers.

Good that she did that as otherwise she would have had three grumbling old farts, myself included, complaining about the dufus using tech holding up the line.

[Nickrock]

In the last 15 plus years I have never needed cash ( except in Thailand) it's all eftpos just tap the machine with your card and your done

[forcebwithu]

2 hours ago, Nickrock said:

In the last 15 plus years I have never needed cash ( except in Thailand) it's all eftpos just tap the machine with your card and your done

Sounds like a much better system than the Prompt Pay system they're using here.

[forcebwithu]

21 hours ago, Nickrock said:

In the last 15 plus years I have never needed cash ( except in Thailand) it's all eftpos just tap the machine with your card and your done

Surely you must have to enter a PIN as well as tapping the machine to authorize a purchase?

[boydeste]

21 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

Surely you must have to enter a PIN as well as tapping the machine to authorize a purchase?

In the UK we can buy up to £100 per purchase by tapping, but every now and again it will ask for the PIN.

That's my bank anyways. 

If I use my card out of the UK, it always asks for a PIN.

Edited March 19, 2025 by boydeste

[Zeb]

1 minute ago, boydeste said:

In the UK we can buy up to £100 by tapping, but every now and again it will ask for the PIN.

Yep. Just tap your card or phone here as well.

Not sure of the maximum amount without a pin.

[forcebwithu]

1 minute ago, boydeste said:

In the UK we can buy up to £100 per purchase by tapping, but every now and again it will ask for the PIN.

That's my bank anyways. 

Good there's at least a limit to the damage that could be done if you lost the card. Although I'd be worried about the number of less than £100 purchases that could be rung up before I noticed the card missing.

[boydeste]

1 minute ago, forcebwithu said:

Good there's at least a limit to the damage that could be done if you lost the card. Although I'd be worried about the number of less than £100 purchases that could be rung up before I noticed the card missing.

It used to be £60, but they raised the limit.

I believe they cover any loss as long as you report the card missing in a reasonable time.

Also I think the modern spending tracking software is pretty good at picking up anomalies in your spending and a PIN would quickly be asked for.

I  have had that when I have been on a pub craw in a place outside of my home town.

 

[Painter]

23 hours ago, Nickrock said:

In the last 15 plus years I have never needed cash ( except in Thailand) it's all eftpos just tap the machine with your card and your done

When I spent 4 months in NZ in 2000, I was told the eftpos system was being developed and  tested in NZ by banks worldwide, as NZ had a small population spread over a large area, and so any losses should be small.

No idea if it's true or not, but sounded feasible at the time.

 

[Painter]

1 hour ago, boydeste said:

In the UK we can buy up to £100 per purchase by tapping, but every now and again it will ask for the PIN.

That's my bank anyways. 

If I use my card out of the UK, it always asks for a PIN.

Same with both of mine. Started at £30 i think, but was increased during covid I believe.

Don't forget you can also turn your card on and off using banking apps.

Must say I prefer cash, as I feel I can keep a better mental record of spending, but usually use my card these days, and am starting to use the Thai qr code method on banking apps to pay for more and more

[galenkia]

I use Apple Pay for everything. Can’t remember the last time I used a cash machine or card.

[galenkia]

18 hours ago, boydeste said:

In the UK we can buy up to £100 per purchase by tapping, but every now and again it will ask for the PIN.

That's my bank anyways. 

If I use my card out of the UK, it always asks for a PIN.

As far as I know, it’s three maximum £100 taps before it asks for a PIN number. And that’s in a short period.

At least with my bank.

Still £300 that can be stolen from your account and good luck getting it back if it is a debit card.

It’s why I use my phone and leave my card’s at home, and use Face ID on my Apple wallet and also to open my phone.

My bank account's and pensions are all password protected.

Edited March 19, 2025 by galenkia

[Nickrock]

22 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Surely you must have to enter a PIN as well as tapping the machine to authorize a purchase?

I believe I can set it up on line to ask for a pin all the time or totally disable the tap and go function but over $100 it asks for a pin

[john luke]

On my last visit to Singapore, I noticed that most (if not all) ATMs charge 3 to 5 Singapore dollars to withdraw cash.  That coupled with the fact that most places including market stalls and food courts, restaurants, cafes, bars etc are geared up with facilities for payment via card I moved onto paying just about everything with either my Wise Card or Nat Wes Travel Card.