My bank sent me a credit card that I did not really want. I left it stuck to the letter it came with, didn't activate it and put it straight in the safe where it was never removed. Some months later I got a statement indicating that several hundreds of pounds had been spent on the card. The bank cancelled the charge straight away but never explained how it was possible for the card to be used.
Not having a go at anyone; but it’s easy to see how some people don’t trust the clubs data driven business practices if they think cash makes budgeting easier than having instant access to all your financial transactions on a device smaller than a calculator that’ll even allow you to report what you spend on fuel, food, etc etc all at the touch of a button.
Speaking for myself, personally, I don't manage the budget of a professional football club. If i did, I wouldn't deal in cash. Can you imagine going down to the bank and asking for a cash withdrawal of £250,000? Bank manager: 'Oh, can I ask what for sir?' Me: 'sure, I'm in charge of the finances on Grove Street. We're about to sign the highly-regarded Austrian left wing back-cum-midfielder Marcel Ritzmaier, and we only deal in cash transactions.' For my own budgeting purposes, i can plan better using cash for shopping/eating out/fuel, and for online purchases i use my card. It works for me. When i use my card i spend more, and then look at my statement and it reminds me what I've tapped on as it's easy to forget. Others will disagree and will use other methods, and that's fine. As for the club, of course it makes sense to use digital financial transactions.
Have you handed your card over for a shop asst or waiter to put the card in a card machine it doesnt have to be an a ATM I once observed an asst in a petrol station behaving strangely whilst taking payments ( i install card machines and train staff to us them so I know what they have to do to process payments) I suspected he was swiping the card in a card reader under the desk before putting it in the actual card machine so went straight to the nearest police station and reported my concerns a couple of days later I gets a call from a CID officer thanking me for the information as they raided the place and busted a Major card fraud gang.
We have those.But I got a wallet that is true but my wife has the true card sleeves. Not expensive too.
Through the day job I attended a security seminar given by the Police, the Officer told us it was very common, apparently the criminals spend the day walking round crowded places with a battery operated scanner set to charge at the figure just below where you need to input a pin number....obviously they don't clear your bank but they pick up a lot of thirty odd quids from people not using good blocking wallets.
The seminar was just before Covid hit... I think the limit was about £35 at the time, although I'm not absolutely sure as I don't use them myself... sorry but I don't remember the subject of multiple cards coming up...he did recommend buying a blocker wallet but said some of the cheap ones were not very good.
Cash is always king. Never have to worry about technology being a pain and as you say it is easier to budget and keep track. Especially on a night out.
All businesses should offer cash or card option. We hear all the time about businesses struggling and needing help and then they don't want to help themselves as they they are happy to turn down currency. Using a card on a night out you can easily lose track of what's been spent compared to a pocket of notes and getting weighed down by coins.
Any transaction that happens with my accounts (personal / joint / credit card) I get a notification on my phone, pretty much instantly. Appreciate not everyone has a smart phone or has their banking app on their phone but it’s a good way of noticing any strange transactions quickly. Or when t’other half spends on the joint account!
And that’s exactly why cash should always be accepted everywhere. Financial control is a gift to domestic abusers.
I woke up on Tuesday to a whole bunch of notifications. My card had been used for two $10 transactions in the US, a $1 transaction in Canada and about £20 worth of groceries in the Philippines. Then it seems that they fell foul of having to authorise payments through the app, which they obviously couldn't do. Absolutely no idea how it happened - I only ever really use it online, and then just with four or five different merchants. Starling have sent me out a new card and refunded everything, but it was all very strange.
My card was cloned in 2006 when i was at uni. Apparently they just made a card and the 16 digit number happened to be mine. They used it for a fiver here and there, mainly at petrol stations. I didn't check my accounts much at all then, being a student. I have done ever since. The bank refunded everything, just over £200 worth.