wrote in message
No. In Europe it's not always usual to pay with a credit card. So you
need another payment method - what, if you want to buy a car?
I bought twice in my life a car with cash money. The first time I
needed DEM 10.000, I got those money in 500- and 1,000-DEM-banknotes.
The next car I paid in cash, too - 24,000 DEM. I got 500- and 1,000
DEM-banknotes, too.
My dealer didn't accept any credit card (because he have to pay fees
for accepting credit cards, afaik 3%) so at 24,000 DEM it's a fee of
DEM 720!
Using a cheque? What if I don't have this money on my account?
With cash money you can pay, everytime at any place in the world.
Ok, nobody will buying a car every day - but sometimes it's useful to
have EUR 200 or EUR 500-banknotes. If you're buying electronical things
like computers, tv-sets and so on - some dealers doesn't accept our
"maestrocard" or there's a smaller limit on the card.

I know that most car dealers etc in the USA will avoid taking large amounts
of cash, for one - they prefer to finance the car, and for two they don't
like to manage a large amount of cash on the premises.

But I have been places in the world where you cannot use credit cards at all
except in large hotels in the capital city etc. The rest of the time it was
cash.