Re: Goodbye ATMs.
First I appreciate that there are those who cannot survive without using hard currency; let me assure you of that much.
But banking is changing and it has to.
Like it or not, the number of people using physical banks has fallen dramatically as has the number of people that use hard currency (cash).
Banks and the hole-in-the-wall machines need people to operate them and it all needs to be paid-for.
That is why bank branches are still closing, and is why the numbers of cash machines are falling too.
So there are only two sensible options to ensure that those still needing access can retain as much of that access as possible.
One is with schemes like the above.
The other is to introduce significant charges for everybody holding a bank account.
Again, I understand that there are those for whom changes like this are difficult but - honestly - I do not see what other reasonable option there is.
After all, there are far more shops with the technology necessary to perform banking tasks than there are banks and Post Offices.
There will probably be less unnecessary queueing too.
I don't see shops being more vulnerable because of this because they will not be holding extra cash, but presumably they will hold less cash as people withdraw what they need.