is paying in cash difficult? - London Message Board (2024)

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It's very unusual for cash to be refused though you can't use it on buses

There was a time during the height of the pandemic lockdown when some shops were only taking contactless payment.

That measure has passed in most places now and cash can be used, although many prefer card payments still.

Mostly paying with cash is either the same or marginally more difficult (but not impossible) but some places do have signs up saying ‘card only’.

However, there are some venues that are very much card only - usually it’s clear on the website and tickets so it won’t come as a surprise but as a for instance the Oval cricket ground is entirely card only, no doubt there are many others.

A few places around London might be cashless. Mostly hip pop ups and that sort of thing. Some shops will only accept cash. However, the vast majority of businesses will accept both cash or card payments.

As others have said, most shops etc. will take cash and some independent convenience stores have a minimum spend to use cards. A lot of the 'no cash' restrictions were a response to Covid, although it has accelerated the march towards a cashless society by a number of years, cash is still alive and well.

My local Starbucks up the road won't take cash, only cards, and several other places nearby are still the same.

Welcome

What will it hurt to have both?

To me, its low hanging fruit. If thats the worse problem you have on your trip then you are doing good.

I dound thatin some public toilets they wanted some change...

But i ALWAYS have some local currency no matter where i go.

Good luck

Edited: 2 years ago

Also,

Yes, ive been to some starbucks in the usa where they only take cards furing the covid times....other shops dont care and some are the same, but YOU will need to be FLEXIBLE where you go and how they want to do things.

A coffee shop i use dont take cash since someone broke in amd took the cash drawer...they have not replaced it...yet..

Good luck

thanks. it wont hurt.

only that i was supposed to travel to london a year ago and changed a lot of my local currency to pounds so i vae cash pounds and i dont want to stay with it.

You'll be fine with cash as long as you have a card as well