I’ve been mindful of the ways companies can track my spending habits, and so have been increasingly keen on using cash and avoiding mobile banking/payment apps like the plague. I realize that this varies by country and might be a bit far out, but the thought does linger in the back of my mind. If current trends continue, how much longer until they take cash and browser-based banking from us? Or will there be a reason those options should continue to exist (and be easily usable) far into the future? And perhaps:

  • What else can I, as an individual, do about this?
  • Is there a tendency for larger banks or smaller credit unions to push towards mobile-only online banking?
  • What does it look like in countries where cashless and mobile payments are the norm?
  • Ardens@lemmy.ml
    2·
    9 hours ago

    We need to be anonymous, we need to have something that we can privately exchange, we need it for allowance for kids, we need it to pay when the digital service is down, we need it when we travel, so that there’s never any problems with paying for what we get, we need it to give to homeless, to live beside the banking system alone and so forth…

    • rumba@lemmy.zipEnglish
      1·
      6 hours ago

      We need to be anonymous,

      Super agree

      we need to have something that we can privately exchange,

      Can’t complain there

      we need it for allowance for kids,

      Nah, Our kids have a starter debit visa, Everything they want to buy is online (or is cheaper online) We were just handing them cash so they could hand it back to us so they could use our CC# then we got to make change. This is one thing that’s much better digitally IMO.

      we need it to pay when the digital service is down,

      I mostly agree. There are a lot of places that can’t even use their POS if the digital service is down. We also don’t stock cash our drawers to the levels we used to.

      we need it when we travel, so that there’s never any problems with paying for what we get.

      I find using CC while traveling to be far easier, but the stupid intl fees suck. Thing is, even if you get cash out on the other end, you still pay an intl charge. And then you’re stuck with whatever you don’t spend in that currency. I think overall, digital wins here.

      we need it to give to homeless,

      Kinda agree. I’d rather the local government use my tax money to help them. They’re already struggling from the number of people out there that don’t carry cash.

      to live beside the banking system alone and so forth…

      Yeah, we do need a secondary method. I wish we could create a crypto system that isn’t an elaborate pyramid scheme.