With cash being the default for thousands of years of history and everything, and card meaning card fees, tracking, tied to a bank, and so on, it totally makes sense.
1. You argue cashless is annoying because you have to remember your card/phone in addition to cash.
2. I countered that you could equally say that cash is bad because I have to remember cash in addition to my card/phone. Which makes them at worst equal. You just have to remember whichever one is accepted.
3. Except - as I stated and you highlighted - that is not really the case. Almost everywhere accepts card - more than accept cash, so not only is cashless equal to cash, it is better.
(From a "having to remember things" point of view anyway.)
I'll clear it up, cashless is annoying because instead of being able to walk outside with a couple of bills, I have to bring my whole phone or wallet with me because some vendors just don't accept cash. Sometimes I even prefer paying with cash because it helps the vendor avoid the fees they have to pay for each digital transaction.
> instead of being able to walk outside with a couple of bills, I have to bring my whole phone or wallet
That still doesn't make any sense. Firstly, 99% of people carry their phone with them pretty much everywhere so you're already a special snowflake.
Secondly, instead of "a couple of bills" you have to carry... a single card. Wow. So much hassle.
> Sometimes I even prefer paying with cash because it helps the vendor avoid the fees they have to pay for each digital transaction.
Yeah I have more sympathy with this but my feeling is vendors prefer cashless even with the fees - at least debit card fees (~0.5%), maybe not credit card fees - because cash isn't free. You have to spend time taking it to the bank, dealing with employee theft, etc. etc.
> Secondly, instead of "a couple of bills" you have to carry... a single card. Wow. So much hassle.
In case I’d get robbed, I would only loose a couple of bucks vs losing my debit card (which does not require PIN until a limit). I live in a bas neighborhood, so walking outside when it’s dark side is not fun. So having no valuables on me feels good.
> Yeah I have more sympathy with this but my feeling is vendors prefer cashless even with the fees - at least debit card fees (~0.5%), maybe not credit card fees - because cash isn't free.
I have the totally opposite experience, most small shop owners I’ve spoken to have often asked me if I had cash instead of card, some would even give better deals and include free fries If I had cash in me, it’s on that level and one if the reasons why I often prefer cash now. I actually had a discussion regarding this with my local barbershop and he told me how much he hates people who pay with cars because of those fees he has to pay.
I had no idea about CBDC, had to look it up. It’s an interesting concept.
(Not actually true since basically everyone accepts card in the UK, but it illustrates that your point makes no sense.)