Auckland Business News (19 February) - Christine Redman recently found herself unable to pay for the iced latte she had ordered at her favorite coffee shop-even though she had plenty of cash. "They'd made the switch to electronic payments a few weeks before," Ms. Redman explained. "But that day, I forgot to bring my debit card. It was embarrassing." The coffee shop, Seeley's Beans, is one of several New Zealand retailers that have stopped accepting cash at their stores. Supporters of the trend say that electronic payments have benefits like faster transactions, error-free record-keeping, and less handling of potentially-unsanitary bills and coins. Seeley's Beans spokesperson Sharon Wright said, "It was an easy choice, frankly." Consumers, however, are not convinced. Although there has been a steady move toward using cards and apps instead of paper money, many still prefer to use cash or at least to have the option of doing so. "For me, it's about privacy. I wouldn't go to a cashless store, because I don't like the credit card company knowing everything I buy," said Auckland citizen Chad Williams. Similar consumer resistance has led some city governments in the United States to prohibit businesses from going cashless. Retail analyst Sang-Wook Jung believes that could happen here as well, but not right away. "At this point, there are only a few cashless places, so it's not a big inconvenience. But if a lot of stores start to switch over, we may see a backlash too." Have you visited a cashless store? Tell us about it in the comments! (Note that commenters must create an Auckland Tribune account.) | 
