How do you prefer to pay for purchases?

[Nebulous]

How do you prefer to pay for purchases? With cash, a credit card, or some other payment method? Why?

[viruxx]

I use plastic the majority of the time because it's just easy and convenient, plus I buy a lot of things online too. On rare occasion, I'll go into an establishment that only accepts cash, so I really have no choice but to use cash there. I also write out checks for business purchases or if I'm making a payment on the house, etc.

I guess I pay in just about every way that one can pay.

[Animedragon]

For on-line purchases I use my credit card, for in-store purchases I usually use my debit card unless the amount is less than £5 then I usually pay cash. Although actually getting cash is a problem here in the UK because so many banks are closing their branches, my town had 3 banks and 2 building societies and one by one they closed, now there's none left so the only way to get cash is from the "hole in the wall" cash dispenser at the railway station. This causes another problem, these machines often only give you £20 notes, and no shopkeeper likes being offered a £20 note for a £5 purchase.

[Sakura]

For online purchases I usually use Apple Pay or Paypal which goes directly to my debit card anyways. If I'm buying something in person I always use my debit card as well. I never use cash and the only cash I ever carry is about 10 dollars in $1 dollar bills in case I need it for a bus or train or something in the event of an emergency. 

[Animedragon]

8 hours ago, Sakura said:

the only cash I ever carry is about 10 dollars in $1 dollar bills in case I need it for a bus or train or something in the event of an emergency. 

I'm like that as well. The only time I have more than £10 in my wallet is when I'm on holiday because some tourist attractions don't take card payments for payments less than £5, so I usually have a handful of coins in my pocket as well. However, since the covid pandemic some places now only accept card payments and London buses have been card only for several years, they charge a flat fare for each journey so your fare is the same if you travel the entire route or just go a couple of stops.

[Sasuke]

I hardly leave the house with cash. I'm not even positive the last time I used cash for anything. The majority of places take card and I use my bank card for transactions. Sometimes I forget cash exists since I never actually see it and everything is automatically deposited in my bank or I can just swipe a card for everything.

[froggy]

I usually have my wallet with me, so I can use my debit card for most purchases when going out. But during school, I usually buy snacks and soda from the vending machine. For that, I use apple pay when my dad gives me money on it, or my debit card.

I never have cash nowadays, the last few times I had it was a payment for an art commission. I usually fly through it quickly when hanging out with my friends... But other than that, all I have is a few pennies...

So overall, I use my debit card the most, but I'd prefer having cash at some point for the vending machines at my work that don't take debit or apple pay.

[efaardvark]

I prefer to pay in cash.  The ATMs around here still only give out $20 bills however, and most places have a $300/day withdrawal limit.  That's ridiculous with everything costing so much these days.  Just driving past the grocery store can suck $100 out of my wallet!  Even if I could get past the daily ATM limit that would mean carrying around a huge wad of cash everywhere.  And ever try to pay for anything with a $100 bill?  They look at you like you're a drug dealer.  They smell the bills, hold them up to the light, call the manager over....  If I pulled out 4 or 5 to pay for groceries they'd probably call the cops.

Takes way longer and more trouble than just using the CC so that's what I usually wind up actually doing.  That or my phone.  I use the card only as a convenience tho and I don't carry a balance.  I don't spend money I don't already have in my checking account and I pay off the whole CC balance every month.  Credit card companies probably hate me.

[Animedragon]

7 hours ago, efaardvark said:

The ATMs around here still only give out $20 bills however

I see that's not just a problem with ATMs in the UK, ours only give out £20 notes.

7 hours ago, efaardvark said:

And ever try to pay for anything with a $100 bill?

The highest denomination bank note in the UK is £50 and no shop will take them, some even have signs up by till saying "no £50 notes"

7 hours ago, efaardvark said:

I don't spend money I don't already have in my checking account and I pay off the whole CC balance every month. 

Same here, I never buy anything I don't have the money in my account to pay for. A friend of mine got into massive debt by getting carried away with his credit card.

[Sakura]

On 2/12/2024 at 4:31 AM, Animedragon said:

I'm like that as well. The only time I have more than £10 in my wallet is when I'm on holiday because some tourist attractions don't take card payments for payments less than £5, so I usually have a handful of coins in my pocket as well. However, since the covid pandemic some places now only accept card payments and London buses have been card only for several years, they charge a flat fare for each journey so your fare is the same if you travel the entire route or just go a couple of stops.

 A lot of places here stopped accepting cash after Covid too and have never gone back to accepting it. I guess things have or are mostly transitioning to using only cards since pretty much everyone has one anyway. 

 

On 2/12/2024 at 8:04 PM, efaardvark said:

I prefer to pay in cash.  The ATMs around here still only give out $20 bills however, and most places have a $300/day withdrawal limit.  That's ridiculous with everything costing so much these days.  Just driving past the grocery store can suck $100 out of my wallet!  Even if I could get past the daily ATM limit that would mean carrying around a huge wad of cash everywhere.  And ever try to pay for anything with a $100 bill?  They look at you like you're a drug dealer.  They smell the bills, hold them up to the light, call the manager over....  If I pulled out 4 or 5 to pay for groceries they'd probably call the cops.

Takes way longer and more trouble than just using the CC so that's what I usually wind up actually doing.  That or my phone.  I use the card only as a convenience tho and I don't carry a balance.  I don't spend money I don't already have in my checking account and I pay off the whole CC balance every month.  Credit card companies probably hate me.

I HATEEEEEEE that when I would use $100's. It always makes you feel like a criminal and most places won't accept them sometimes at all. One of the only places I know that actually takes them is Wal*mart lol. 

[Animedragon]

6 hours ago, Sakura said:

A lot of places here stopped accepting cash after Covid too and have never gone back to accepting it. I guess things have or are mostly transitioning to using only cards since pretty much everyone has one anyway. 

And it's not just shops. A lot of tourist attractions switched over to pre-booked entry only during covid for social distancing reasons, which was fine, but quite a few haven't gone back to walk-up entry, or if they have their websites give the impression that you need to book in advance with no mention of walk-up entry being available.

[Ohayotaku]

I usually start the week with $80 - $100 cash for use at fast food drive thrus, the laundromat, barber, carwash, various purchases less than $15. Try to keep a minimum of $20 on hand. Use a credit card for other inperson purchases (groceries, gas, dine-in restaurants). Use Paypal for most online purchases.

Edited February 14 by Ohayotaku

[Sakura]

16 hours ago, Animedragon said:

And it's not just shops. A lot of tourist attractions switched over to pre-booked entry only during covid for social distancing reasons, which was fine, but quite a few haven't gone back to walk-up entry, or if they have their websites give the impression that you need to book in advance with no mention of walk-up entry being available.

Yeah when I've got to other places for vaca I always have to book whatever I'm doing in advance it seems so that they make sure they don't have too many people in one area at a time. 

[Animedragon]

7 hours ago, Sakura said:

Yeah when I've got to other places for vaca I always have to book whatever I'm doing in advance it seems so that they make sure they don't have too many people in one area at a time. 

I understand why places are encouraging pre-booking, but if I'm planning on going to an outdoor place I prefer to check the weather before I decide to visit or not, with our famously unpredictable British weather it's the smart thing to do.

[Clayton]

Cash

 

 

[Zeref]

Bank card because I think it's easier than to deal with cash most of the time. Tapping my phone on the screen is just faster and easier to me. The only time I will use cash is to get a small purchase if I had some change on me for a drink from a machine or snack machine.