The chink of coins on a counter, a £20 note folded carefully inside a birthday card, or the quick tap of a card machine followed by a green tick… In Jersey, the way we pay has become more than a matter of convenience – it is fast turning into a question about fairness, freedom and the future of money itself.
A local Facebook group, ‘JERSEY CI. Cash is king’, has attracted more than 4,000 members since it was set up in 2023, reflecting a growing appetite for debate.
The group collates a list of local businesses which do not accept cash and provides a forum for discussion about the importance of physical currency in an increasingly digital world.
Now, a proposition lodged by Deputy Montfort Tadier calling for businesses to be required to accept cash – to ensure “no one is left behind” – has shifted the conversation from social media threads to the political stage.
With opinions divided between convenience and principle, cost and choice, Express has been in town this week asking islanders: should businesses be forced to accept cash?
“Some people only use cash”
Dylan Roscoe is an 18-year-old sales assistant who works at market greengrocer Just William.
“Some people only use cash, like the elderly,” he said. “There are some people here who I have never seen use card.”
Susana Andrade, who works at a nearby florist, agreed. For some older customers, she said, physically handing over notes and coins makes it easier to keep track of spending.
Being able to physically hold cash rather tapping a card “here and there” can be easier to “know how well they are budgeting”, she explained.
One shopper echoed this point. He said that for “older men” like himself, carrying money in their pockets provides a tangible sense of control.
“When you use your plastic you don’t know when you’re spending, but when you have got actual money in your pocket you know what you’re spending,” he explained.
“It’s better to accept both rather than just one”
The pattern of spending is clear to those working in retail.
Mara De Lemos-Cooper (19), who works at Leonidas Belgian Chocolate, said most cash users tend to be older customers.
“I don’t think I’ve served younger generations with cash,” she said, adding: “It’s better to accept both rather than just one.”
But she stressed that cash is not just for pensioners. “It should also be kept in circulation for kids to learn about money,” she added.
For some islanders, the issue goes beyond budgeting or bank charges – with concerns about data privacy, financial control and what they see as increasing hostility towards physical currency.
“I don’t even have a bank account with a traditional high-street bank”
For some young people, like 27-year-old quantitative analyst Josh Griffiths, cash is a thing of the past.
“I honestly never use cash anymore, and I don’t even have a bank account with a traditional high-street bank,” he said.
Instead, he explained he uses “online-only banks” such as Monzo and Starling, for everything from “splitting bills to paying rent”.
“It’s just quicker and easier to manage through an app,” added Josh.
It’s also ideal when travelling, he said, as “you can pay in pretty much any currency” without “having to worry about exchanging cash in advance”.
“The only time cash really enters my life is when someone gives me some for my birthday or Christmas,” he explained.
“The irony is I don’t actually have a straightforward way to pay it in, so I have to give it to my girlfriend to deposit at her physical bank and transfer over to me.”
“I can’t remember when I last used cash”
He’s not alone. For others, such as Michael Borowski, the use of cash has become a distant memory.
“I can’t remember when I last used cash,” the 29-year-old said. “I definitely haven’t used cash in ages.”
However, he added that he does think shops should accept cash.
Andrew, who is 54 years old, said: “I can’t remember when I last used cash. It was probably months ago.”
“I don’t like having loose change in my pocket,” he said, contrasting comments from older islanders and adding that it’s “easier to keep track on his spending” when using contactless.
And 17-year-old Suki added that she doesn’t use a physical debit card anymore, instead using the ‘tap to pay’ feature with her phone because it’s simply “easier”.
“I don’t think forcing all companies to accept cash would be proportionate”
Digital Jersey chief executive Tony Moretta said that while he “recognises that some people still prefer cash for various reasons”, Deputy Tadier’s proposal isn’t “proportionate”.
“Personally I don’t think forcing all companies to accept cash would be proportionate,” he said.
“I could see why government might want to ensure acceptance in key areas such as transport and supermarkets.
“However, we also need to look at digital inclusion more generally to make sure everyone has access to the benefits of technology, and not just to pay for things.”
Cash is king?
When islander Nina Morgan set up the ‘Cash is king’ social media group in 2023, she told Express that members believe in the importance of cash for a number of different reasons – including ease of budgeting, the tangibility of physical tender, teaching children the value of money and the “liberty to spend your own money as you feel fit giving you full control of your own assets”.
She explained: “The modern life is after all a surveillance society to some degree.
“A lot of individuals and businesses are not aware of the negative potentialities which could well follow should we lose physical legal tender.”
Nina added: “I am someone who will walk out of an establishment that denies cash, so it’s much easier if all the places are listed in one place and then we – as consumers who value cash – can take our custom elsewhere and not waste our time with places who do not want our money.”
