Paper losing out to plastic

Not completely of course. Cash is still king at coin and currency shows.

http://www.thesunlink.com/bsun/bu_bu...233778,00.html

In article ,
John Stone wrote:
http://www.thesunlink.com/bsun/bu_business/article/0,2403,BSUN_19060_3233778,00.html

... plastic recently outpaced paper as the preferred mode of
payment at the nation's checkout lines for the first time, and
experts say it will soon be commonplace to pay for nearly
everything with a card.

Paper steadily has been losing out to the various forms of plastic
-- credit, debit or prepaid cards -- and last year, the balance
tipped: Cards were used for 53 percent of store purchases, while
cash or checks were handed over for 47 percent of them, according
to the most recent Study of Consumer Payment Preferences.

--
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To:

In article ,
(Tim McDaniel) wrote:

In article ,
John Stone wrote:
http://www.thesunlink.com/bsun/bu_bu..._19060_3233778,
00.html

... plastic recently outpaced paper as the preferred mode of
payment at the nation's checkout lines for the first time, and
experts say it will soon be commonplace to pay for nearly
everything with a card.

Paper steadily has been losing out to the various forms of plastic
-- credit, debit or prepaid cards -- and last year, the balance
tipped: Cards were used for 53 percent of store purchases, while
cash or checks were handed over for 47 percent of them, according
to the most recent Study of Consumer Payment Preferences.

While the trend is likely to continue, why should we expect nearly
everything to be paid for with plastic "soon" when it took decades for
credit cards to get half the transactions?

In article ,
wrote:

While the trend is likely to continue, why should we expect nearly
everything to be paid for with plastic "soon" when it took decades for
credit cards to get half the transactions?

Momentum & critical mass.

Consider how slowly FAXes came to be used. Then one day critical mass
hit -and BLAM!!! - suddenly everybody had a FAX machine.

There's nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come. (I don't
know who said it, but it's certainly true.)

In article ,
wrote:
While the trend is likely to continue, why should we expect nearly
everything to be paid for with plastic "soon" when it took decades
for credit cards to get half the transactions?

set locale=US
That would make sense if the trend is accelerating. I'm not saying
that the trend _is certainly_ accelerating, but I have the impression
that it is.

For example, I don't recall credit-card readers in grocery stores ten
years ago, and debit cards are somewhat newer and less-used than
credit cards. Fast-food restaurants only started taking plastic here
within the last year or two. You could pay for gasoline via credit
card for decades, of course, but pay-at-the-pump (much faster and more
convenient, hence making it more attractive) is relatively new.

Or so I recall. I pay cash for expenses under $50 or so, so I tend
not to notice credit card / debit card facilities. I invite
correction if I'm wrong. Please note the "locale=US" above; please
don't flame me for having been wrong on account of Europe using debit
cards and electronic transfers far more than the US.

/set

--
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To:

"Tim McDaniel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
wrote:
While the trend is likely to continue, why should we expect nearly
everything to be paid for with plastic "soon" when it took decades
for credit cards to get half the transactions?

set locale=US
That would make sense if the trend is accelerating. I'm not saying
that the trend _is certainly_ accelerating, but I have the impression
that it is.

For example, I don't recall credit-card readers in grocery stores ten
years ago, and debit cards are somewhat newer and less-used than
credit cards. Fast-food restaurants only started taking plastic here
within the last year or two. You could pay for gasoline via credit
card for decades, of course, but pay-at-the-pump (much faster and more
convenient, hence making it more attractive) is relatively new.

Or so I recall. I pay cash for expenses under $50 or so, so I tend
not to notice credit card / debit card facilities. I invite
correction if I'm wrong. Please note the "locale=US" above; please
don't flame me for having been wrong on account of Europe using debit
cards and electronic transfers far more than the US.


I would agree with the "soon" term. Already a credit card is accepted by
virtually all small and large businesses. It's just a matter of how long it
takes consumers to become comfortable using a card rather than cash for
small and smaller purchases. Card swipe machines are making it easier and
quicker. The basic technology is already here and is improving. All that's
left is for businesses and customers to get used to using it.

Bruce

set locale=US
That would make sense if the trend is accelerating. I'm not saying
that the trend _is certainly_ accelerating, but I have the impression
that it is.

For example, I don't recall credit-card readers in grocery stores ten
years ago, and debit cards are somewhat newer and less-used than
credit cards. Fast-food restaurants only started taking plastic here
within the last year or two. You could pay for gasoline via credit
card for decades, of course, but pay-at-the-pump (much faster and more
convenient, hence making it more attractive) is relatively new.

Or so I recall. I pay cash for expenses under $50 or so, so I tend
not to notice credit card / debit card facilities. I invite
correction if I'm wrong. Please note the "locale=US" above; please
don't flame me for having been wrong on account of Europe using debit
cards and electronic transfers far more than the US.

/set

Shopkeepers/managers please enlighten me:
Credit card operators charge quite high rates for merchants to accept
such payments, but apparently for large reatilers it's cheaper to accept
all payments by credit card than by cash due to security issues? With
plastic payments, no need for security men and armored vans after
closing time every day to take the cash to the bank?

Seb

I don't even carry much cash or a checkbook any more. the fast food
places and walmart all take amex. i have a few bucks for the vending
machine. i rarely go through more then $10 a week in cash.

The only place I tend to pay cash for things is at coin and gun shows,
at least for smaller purchases. larger purchases are usually by check
though (the few times I have enough funds to make a larger purchase).
:-)

wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Tim McDaniel) wrote:

In article ,
John Stone wrote:
http://www.thesunlink.com/bsun/bu_bu..._19060_3233778,
00.html

... plastic recently outpaced paper as the preferred mode of
payment at the nation's checkout lines for the first time, and
experts say it will soon be commonplace to pay for nearly
everything with a card.

Paper steadily has been losing out to the various forms of plastic
-- credit, debit or prepaid cards -- and last year, the balance
tipped: Cards were used for 53 percent of store purchases, while
cash or checks were handed over for 47 percent of them, according
to the most recent Study of Consumer Payment Preferences.

While the trend is likely to continue, why should we expect nearly
everything to be paid for with plastic "soon" when it took decades for
credit cards to get half the transactions?

(bob peterson) wrote in message . com...
I don't even carry much cash or a checkbook any more. the fast food
places and walmart all take amex. i have a few bucks for the vending
machine. i rarely go through more then $10 a week in cash.

The only place I tend to pay cash for things is at coin and gun shows,
at least for smaller purchases. larger purchases are usually by check
though (the few times I have enough funds to make a larger purchase).
:-)

wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Tim McDaniel) wrote:

In article ,
John Stone wrote:
http://www.thesunlink.com/bsun/bu_bu..._19060_3233778,
00.html

... plastic recently outpaced paper as the preferred mode of
payment at the nation's checkout lines for the first time, and
experts say it will soon be commonplace to pay for nearly
everything with a card.

Paper steadily has been losing out to the various forms of plastic
-- credit, debit or prepaid cards -- and last year, the balance
tipped: Cards were used for 53 percent of store purchases, while
cash or checks were handed over for 47 percent of them, according
to the most recent Study of Consumer Payment Preferences.

While the trend is likely to continue, why should we expect nearly
everything to be paid for with plastic "soon" when it took decades for
credit cards to get half the transactions?



I'm a "cash man". Gas stations, stores, restaurants etc. Everything with
cash. I don't even own an ATM card. Guess I'm behind the times.

My credit card gives me 1% cash rebate. So everything over $10 I charge.


"John Stone" wrote in message
. ..
(bob peterson) wrote in message
. com...
I don't even carry much cash or a checkbook any more. the fast food
places and walmart all take amex. i have a few bucks for the vending
machine. i rarely go through more then $10 a week in cash.

The only place I tend to pay cash for things is at coin and gun shows,
at least for smaller purchases. larger purchases are usually by check
though (the few times I have enough funds to make a larger purchase).
:-)

wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Tim McDaniel) wrote:

In article ,
John Stone wrote:
http://www.thesunlink.com/bsun/bu_bu..._19060_3233778,
00.html

... plastic recently outpaced paper as the preferred mode of
payment at the nation's checkout lines for the first time, and
experts say it will soon be commonplace to pay for nearly
everything with a card.

Paper steadily has been losing out to the various forms of
plastic
-- credit, debit or prepaid cards -- and last year, the balance
tipped: Cards were used for 53 percent of store purchases, while
cash or checks were handed over for 47 percent of them, according
to the most recent Study of Consumer Payment Preferences.

While the trend is likely to continue, why should we expect nearly
everything to be paid for with plastic "soon" when it took decades for
credit cards to get half the transactions?



I'm a "cash man". Gas stations, stores, restaurants etc. Everything with
cash. I don't even own an ATM card. Guess I'm behind the times.