Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Monday March 23 2020, @09:47PM   Printer-friendly
from the tracking-the-everythings dept.

Businesses are switching to cashless payment only during the pandemic as people enact social distancing to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This comes after stopping the use of non-disposable cups in cafes and the general reduction of the use of cash across society. This could well be the tipping point to make cashless payments the norm across the world. Some believe it could well be the start of killing off the use of cash for good.

It's not paranoia if you know they are out to get you.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by legont on Tuesday March 24 2020, @12:04AM (7 children)

    by legont (4179) on Tuesday March 24 2020, @12:04AM (#974682)

    Here when I do "social distance" cash less payment I have to press the infected touch screens a dozen times, while in China one just scans bar code with no contact whatsoever. AT&T promised me true just walk out of store experience about 20 years ago.
    Cash is king all right because I just drop it on the counter and say no change.

    --
    "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +3  
       Insightful=2, Informative=1, Total=3
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by SomeGuy on Tuesday March 24 2020, @01:05AM (5 children)

    by SomeGuy (5632) on Tuesday March 24 2020, @01:05AM (#974707)

    Arrrag this. I want to punch anyone who thinks touch screens are a good idea. At one store I regularly go to, regardless of payment method, they make me press a greasy touch screen to verify that I want a printed receipt (They should just print the damn receipt without asking, like they used to), and at another store they make me use a touch screen to verify my address, again regardless of payment method.

    These screens won't just take a fingernail tap either. It has to be a low down grease exchanging full finger push.

    I guess one could wipe them down with a sanitary wipe first - if there were some small dispensable wipe that didn't cost a bajillion dollars, I'd probably do that even if there were no freaking pandemic.

    Anyway, you CAN sanitize cash, although I have never seen anyone bother. (Well, they keep talking about money laundering... :P )

    At any rate, banning cash is just un-American, (all the third world countries outside of the US need not apply) and a major step towards totalitarianism.

    • (Score: 2) by legont on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:05AM

      by legont (4179) on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:05AM (#974739)

      Anyway, you CAN sanitize cash, although I have never seen anyone bother.

      China has sanitized cash for at least a month already https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/17/asia/china-is-disinfecting-cash-coronavirus-intl-hnk-scli/index.html [cnn.com] even though even beggars use bar code payment system over there https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk03-7dLLWufyuSb5au956y_RoMJYHg:1585015447034&q=china+beggars+qr+code&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwix-LvVgrLoAhUwgnIEHTjXDTIQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1600&bih=770 [google.com]

      --
      "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
    • (Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:32AM (1 child)

      by anubi (2828) on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:32AM (#974744) Journal

      Yeh, "just visit us on the web" has become the business euphanism for "click agree"...to all sorts of terms and conditions... usually starting out with something like "This is a legal contract. You agree we may change it at any time for any reason. It is your responsibility to review the current terms and contact us..."

      I absolutely hate the internet trickery. I have no idea what is legally enforceable, and what is useless businesstalk.

      --
      "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 24 2020, @03:08PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 24 2020, @03:08PM (#975009)

        My position is I am bound by laws and regulations passed by the elected civil authority and by contracts that have my written signature on them. I regard eulas and click agreements as a waste of both my time and theirs and I ignore and violate them as convenient to me. I invite any company that thinks different to take me to court. It's loser pays both sides legal costs here.

    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:44AM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:44AM (#974749) Journal

      At any rate, banning cash is just un-American

      You'll be relieved to learn, then, that TFA relates to the Australian reality.

      As a funny/paradoxical thing, the banknotes are plastic based, the disinfection of which is a lot simpler than those printed on paper. But not simpler than just contactless payments by card [wikipedia.org] - which is absolutely good enough security most of the time (you'll be required to introduce a PIN if the transaction is over AUD100 and you can't have cash-out without PIN).

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 2) by toddestan on Tuesday March 24 2020, @03:37AM

      by toddestan (4982) on Tuesday March 24 2020, @03:37AM (#974773)

      If it's the same screen that they make you "sign" on when doing a credit card payment, you can use the stylus to tap the buttons on the screen instead of your finger and it should take it.

      With that said, the stylus is likely covered in as many germs as the screen is. But you do have the option of using a glove with the stylus.

  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:47AM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 24 2020, @02:47AM (#974751) Journal

    Cash is king all right...

    Wasn't monarchy supposed to be automatically evil, like tyrrrrranny or somethin', something to have an independence war against? (grin)

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford