Major high street brands have transitioned to a cashless system, implementing strict card-only rules. The list of chains opting out of accepting loose change includes restaurants, cafes, bakeries and supermarkets.
This move has been labelled as “completely unacceptable” by a campaign group, while others express concern about what this means for the high street. Pret a Manger, the coffee chain, has started testing cashless outlets, although some of its 490 stores still accept cash.
Gail’s Bakery announced that its 150 nationwide outlets will only take card payments. A spokesperson for the chain stated: “We only accept card payments.
Read more: B&M £20 Dyson Airwrap dupe has shoppers rushing to UK stores
“This practice has environmental benefits as it eliminates the need for cash collection and delivery, which used to be done by car several times per week across over a hundred locations. Additionally, being cashless has had a positive impact on the security of our bakeries by minimising the risk of criminal activity.”
Similarly, Ole and Steen has also gone cashless, reports The Sun.
Some supermarkets, like Waitrose, only accept cash at their cafes and manned checkouts. In fact, the upmarket food giant hasn’t accepted cash at its self-checkouts for more than a year.
Pizza Hut has also adopted a similar stance since 2020 when it switched to card-only payments. Another Italian favourite, Papa Johns, is moving towards a tipless system for Brits, while Zizzi’s has also fully transitioned to a cash-free model.
Zizzi has embraced a cashless approach across the majority of its locations, eschewing traditional cash payments in favour of cards, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.
According to Zizzi’s FAQs: “To provide the smoothest and fastest payment experience, and to keep our teams safe, we are cashless and we encourage card, Apple Pay or Google Pay transactions. You can pay up to £100 contactless on your card and unlimited when using Apple Pay and Google Pay in most of our restaurants.”
Similarly, the Korean-Japanese eatery Kokoro doesn’t handle cash, opting to focus on card and digital payments instead.
Itsu has been ahead of the curve, implementing similar cashless rules since 2019. While not all restaurant chains openly advocate for a no-cash policy, customer reviews have noted difficulties with using cash at several establishments, including Cote Brasserie, Turtle Bay, and Revolution Bars.
