'Time for a boycott' threatens Asda shoppers over major changes to checkouts

ASDA shoppers are threatening to boycott the retailer as it makes a major change at the checkout.

The supermarket chain no longer requires cash and has eliminated staffed kiosks at 14 gas stations next to nearby superstores.

And it's understood the move to 'pay at the pump' will be rolled out to a further 68 this summer, as first revealed by The Sun.

This is when you swipe your credit and debit card at the pump before filling up, without having to go to the cash register.

Asda said staff working at petrol station kiosks will be redeployed to stores and that 90% of payments on superstore forecourts were already made by card or contactless.

They added that of the 300 fuel stations linked to Asda superstores, more than 150 were already unmanned.

But news that dozens more petrol stations will not accept paper notes and coins has left some customers reeling, with one simply saying: “what a joke”.

Another said: “I boycott cashless businesses. Asda will now be on that list.”

A third commented: “simple, boycott all petrol stations that don't accept cash” and a fourth added that it was “time for a boycott”.

However, not all shoppers feel the same way, with some praising the retailer's digital shift.

One said: “It just goes to show that cash is not king. Almost everyone has a debit card these days, so the queue to pay in cash will disappear.

“Faster refueling, here we come.”

Meanwhile, a second customer said: “I actually can't remember the last time I had cash on me! Probably 2018.”

An Asda spokesperson said: “We can reassure customers that all Asda stores will continue to accept both cash and card payments as normal.

“The majority of customers who use our drive-thru Superstore gas stations pay at the pump and more than 90% of all payments are made with a card or contactless device.”

Retailers and chains are increasingly going cashless, including Morrisons and Pizza Hut.

Cashless transactions can be more secure and less vulnerable to theft and counterfeiting than banknote or coin payments.

They also leave a digital trail making it easier to detect fraudulent activity and are generally faster for staff and customers.

In November, Morrisons said it had plans to convert dozens of self-checkouts to card only.

Meanwhile, a 2022 Sun investigation found that dozens of stores would not accept cash, including Pizza Hut, which has stopped taking cash at its restaurants.

But the move by chains and retailers is seen as a blow by some consumers.

Cashless transactions can make it harder for shoppers to control their spending, leaving less tech-savvy customers in the dark.

There's also a greater risk of your personal information being stolen during a cyberattack, which may deter some buyers.

It comes after Asda unveiled plans to open 116 former Co-op store locations and associated petrol stations by the end of March this year.

And in October 2023, it said it would open a total of 356 new gas station convenience stores by 2026.

The announcement came after Asda, owned by the billionaire Issa brothers, merged the supermarket chain with its EG Group UK forecourts in April.

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