Cresselia~~
Junichi Masuda likes this!!
Going cashless is really convenient for businesses, but it alienates poor people without bank accounts and also tourists and foreign students.
But instead of banning cashless stores or forcing cashless stores to accept cash, can they not set up a top up system that isn't linked to a bank account?
Most of the debate I read about cashless stores are about business VS the poor or so.
(Like in USA, it's main argument is that it alienates poor people, and to a lesser extend, privacy. And in Sweden, it's mainly that it alienates old people because the cashless stores in Sweden only accept online payment.)
But did they not consider a third option?
Like in Taiwan, they have a card called Yoyo card. It started out as a card for paying for train tickets, but nowadays, you can use Yoyo card to pay for nearly everything.
Yoyo cards are not linked to bank accounts, and you can top up your Yoyo card in certain stores with cash.
Yoyo cards also do not have any personal data on them-- no privacy problems.
You don't need to know how to use smartphones in order to use Yoyo cards, so it's friendly towards old people.
(In European countries they have a card called Monzo card, in which you can top up at certain places using cash. But setting up a Monzo account requires mobile phone/ internet.)
My opinion is that other countries should consider setting up something similar to Yoyo cards, instead of banning cashless stores or forcing cashless stores to accept cash.
But instead of banning cashless stores or forcing cashless stores to accept cash, can they not set up a top up system that isn't linked to a bank account?
Most of the debate I read about cashless stores are about business VS the poor or so.
(Like in USA, it's main argument is that it alienates poor people, and to a lesser extend, privacy. And in Sweden, it's mainly that it alienates old people because the cashless stores in Sweden only accept online payment.)
But did they not consider a third option?
Like in Taiwan, they have a card called Yoyo card. It started out as a card for paying for train tickets, but nowadays, you can use Yoyo card to pay for nearly everything.
Yoyo cards are not linked to bank accounts, and you can top up your Yoyo card in certain stores with cash.
Yoyo cards also do not have any personal data on them-- no privacy problems.
You don't need to know how to use smartphones in order to use Yoyo cards, so it's friendly towards old people.
(In European countries they have a card called Monzo card, in which you can top up at certain places using cash. But setting up a Monzo account requires mobile phone/ internet.)
My opinion is that other countries should consider setting up something similar to Yoyo cards, instead of banning cashless stores or forcing cashless stores to accept cash.
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