Comment Re:Swiss here... (Score 1) 327
Swiss here. I typically carry cash for small purchases - why mess with anything else to buy your lunch? Cash is simpler.
Simpler than debit? Stick a card in, type a number code? Vs. fumble with bills and coins, and getting bills and coins back as change?
Cash has many benefits and I don't want to see it go away, but "simpler" at the point of purchase is not one of them.
What is simpler?
1) You keep some cash coin in your pocket and provide it in exchange for your goods. Required items to do this transaction are printed paper or stamped coins and possibly a lock box for the merchant.
2) You have plastic card (or phone) in your pocket and swipe it through a card reader, wait for system to provide authorization. Required items are computer, supported smartphone, card/phone reader, customer bank account, merchant bank account, merchant agreement with 3rd party processor (VISA/MC/etc), data connection, electronic records and secure record storage, electricity. Meanwhile the merchant pays a transactional cost and many of these dependencies are subject to recurring maintenance, support and/or upgrade costs. If any of these things are not present or incompatible... goto option #1.
I think you are confusing simplicity with convenience.