Recent technological advancements point to a looming cashless society, with a recent survey indicating that most Australians expect to break free from paper-notes and coins by 2022. Soon, paying for your daily coffee with a digital wallet in your phone or for that matter in a myriad of electronic gadgets will be the norm, and not just a geeky fad to impress your new date.
Leading this global trend towards a cash-free society are the Scandinavian countries where less than 6 per cent of all payments are made by cash. Denmark has recently proposed allowing most stores not to accept notes and coins, which basically means that cash will lose its widespread legal tender use. In Norway, banks are dropping access to cash in their branch offices. In Sweden which became the first European nation to issue banknotes in 1661 even homeless street vendors take electronic donations now.
