In the USA, many businesses are going cashless. They are using only credit cards or Apple/Google Pay for payments now, no more cash. I don’t like this, paying in cash is the best, more secure, and private. I hate this direction that society is going in, a cashless future. I also hate how people who refuse to use the newest phones and use Google/Apple (people like me who value privacy and have high threat models) will be unable to pay for our goods.
I’ve settled on Apple Pay because I don’t want Google with any of my payment information and at least Apple encrypts it with ADP. Question is, do I really need to adopt a digital payment method in 2023? The future will be cashless, but do I need a digital payment method right now or can it wait a few years?
I’m visiting an Ivy League School next week for a competition: Not a single place on campus accepts cash, at an Ivy League College. makes sense, students are more likely to adopt and use digital payment technology. Society clearly favors iPhone users here in America as Apple Pay is much more common than Google Pay. But do I really need Apple Pay in 2023?
Just so you know, your card information isn’t stored in Apple’s servers, only on your device. Google, however, does store it in their servers. Jonah made a video comparing them here.
I personally just use my physical Debit card to make purchases. Why? Because I often leave my iPhone at home (and I don’t want to use it for anything more other than phone calls, messaging and browsing). I don’t think physical cards will be going away anytime soon (or at all), so you won’t need to use a digital version. And I believe some big stores in the US like Walmart don’t support Apple or Google Pay, so you’ll need to use your physical card. Which is odd because here in Australia all EFTPOS terminals accept Apple and Google Pay.
I like paying in cash too, so I hope something happens that will stop EFTPOS terminals from working so card-only stores can’t do any business. A town in regional Queensland was getting 5G, so Telstra had to disable data out there for the upgrades. No store could use their EFTPOS machine for 10 days until it was finished. Cash was king during that time.
Learning techniques to handle your situation before hand is all you need to work on. This event your going to could be a good way to practice what you have learned.
Recently my thoughts have been on building a Google Phone, or rebuilding a Google phone. My main phone is a Pixel running CalyxOS. ProtonVPN and NextDNS always on which I use as my only personal Internet access. Google Pay on that device is not an option for myself.
Assuming you could build an iPhone just as I intend to build a Google phone just for Google Pay anonymously. Use your main phone for internet access for your Apple Pay phone. My mom joke that I look like a drug dealer when I pull out three phones, but that’s how I roll.
Credit Cards are not going away with cash IMO. This college your talking about IMO is a microclimate. Step out of densely populated areas and large chain stores and cash is still appreciated.
One doesn’t need a digital payment solution yet. Many large banks and smaller have issued tapable cards, which Europe has had forever now. They’ll have a sideways wifi symbol on the back.
One just has to wave their card near the terminal and the chip is read. Same as tapping a phone with Apple/Google Pay. This should work at establishments that have modern computers.
My choice a couple years ago for security reasons was to not posses a debit card. Recently opening a new bank just for direct deposit for my job I requested an ATM card just for cash. The bank I chose has an ATM where I work and a local branch very close to where I work.
My problem with the debit / credit cards is the inconvenience of fraud and potential loss of large amount of cash in my checking and savings accounts. I was using a Debit Credit cards from my primary bank for some auto bill pay and I would have to edit the auto pay anytime I would get a new card which happens anytime you have fraud.
Now any account which accepts credit cards for auto pay I use a major credit cards with rewards.
My risk of using an ATM card with this one account is low and the balance in that account is kept very low, the account is just used for direct deposit and transfers to my regular banking accounts.
As well yes we have pre paid gift cards in the US.
Yea you’re right, most places will accept credit card. The Ivy League School I’m visiting should accept credit card but I’m shocked that they’re fully cashless now. It makes sense as students are more likely to adopt new technology quicker.
I trust Apple Pay more than Google Pay, I’d never give Google all of my payment information to link to my Google Account. But I’m not sure if having digital payment in 2023 is necessary, or else I’d have to ditch my degoogled android phone (satisfies my threat model) to an iPhone.
I hate all of these technological norms placed on teenagers in society: Institutions assume that all teenagers in America have an iPhone, use Snapchat, and use Gmail. This is true for 95% of Gen Z, but I’m in the minority 5%.
Not necessary in the form of a digital wallet on your phone yeah, but I suspect we’ll see a lot more businesses start to go card only in the coming years. Banks and governments love the idea of fully-traceable, fully-auditable payments, and cash is not that
Companies that go all digital also like not having to deal with cash boxes and the risks of them, including theft and embezzlement. At the loss of business of those who don’t use credit cards.
