5 ms·
I've been able to witness the change over the last 5 years in Germany. While gradual, it has been quite noticeable to see more plastic options become available,
by cknight 9y ago
I've been able to witness the change over the last 5 years in Germany. While gradual, it has been quite noticeable to see more plastic options become available, and my ATM visits have become less frequent.
It's still a far cry from home (Australia) where I hadn't needed cash on hand in quite a long time, but it in terms of convenience it's not a big deal. it certainly beats France where cheques are still in extremely frequent use vs. wire transfers.
- lucaspiller 9y agoA few years ago I was living in the UAE and I was surprised that cheques were so common. When you rent an apartment you typically give post-dated cheques for each quarter at the start of the year. It sounds a bit crazy, but by law if a cheque bounces it was a criminal offence (I believe they recently changed it or were thinking about it). There are a lot of interesting advantages to this, as you can effectively escrow cash without a third party. If you receive a cheque you know you can always (or should always) being able to cash it in.
- yxhuvud 9y agoI live in Sweden and I use cash more often in Germany than I do when I am at home, despite being there only for a week each year. But yes, I've noticed this effect as well - accepting cards is becoming mainstream and eventually I hope to be ably to visit without having to leave with lots of scrap metal in my pockets.