A trendy chain of popular bakeries has reversed its decision to go cashless after customers repeatedly expressed their anger at staff.
On Tuesday, Paul Aron, the owner of Mary Street Bakery in Perth, lifted the pandemic cashless policy at all five locations.
Mr Aron said the ‘no cash’ measure not only helped keep his staff safe, but it also saved time for employees who no longer had to count money twice a day.
However, the recent backlash against payment terminals had incited customers to the point of abusing the bakery’s employees.
“The reason we went back is because the staff were mistreated,” Mr Aron said WToday.
Mary Street Bakery in Perth has reversed its cash payment policy after staff were abused by irate customers
Pictured are staff at Mary Street Bakery in Perth
He added that accepting cash was “an expense and a pain” but that he was determined to bring it back.
“I also realized over time that it is difficult for some people not to use cash, and I don’t want to alienate any of our customers,” he said.
The decision came on the same day a group of independent MPs in Canberra introduced the Keeping Cash Transactions in Australia Bill. The bill aims to prevent Australia from becoming a cashless society as cash transactions continue to decline.
If passed, the bill would require cash as a payment option for every transaction up to $10,000.
Anyone who refuses a cash payment under these circumstances could be fined up to $5,000, while a business would have to pay a maximum fine of $25,000.
Former Nationals MP Andrew Gee unveiled the new proposal alongside fellow independents Dai Le and Bob Katter.
“Many people, both in my electorate of Calare and across our great country, are concerned and fear that the use of cash for transactions in Australia is being phased out and will soon disappear,” Mr Gee said.
“Although the law provides that banknotes and coins are legal tender, it is shocking that there is currently no legal requirement for banknotes or coins to be accepted for transactions in Australia.
The bakery chain had signs hanging at stores that read: ‘We only accept card payments’
‘In other words, carrying Australian banknotes does not guarantee that you can make a cash purchase; it’s all at the company’s discretion. If a company tells you it doesn’t accept cash, it doesn’t have to.’
Member for Kennedy, Mr Katter said it was crucial that hard currency remained a payment option.
“Taking away cash, and thus taking away people’s choices and freedoms, is fundamentally unfair,” he said.
‘With cash we have control: we decide how we spend and store it.’
Pro-cash advocacy group Cash Welcome celebrated the introduction of the bill and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to support it.
“Now the government can act – quickly and easily – to protect our right to access and use cash,” said a statement from Cash Welcome.
A customer trends report published by the Australian Banking Association in 2023 found that Aussies are the largest users of cashless payments in the world, with almost 99 percent of customers conducting their banking transactions online.
Cash now makes up just 13 percent of all total customer payments in Australia.
A 2023 report from the RBA found that 72 percent of Aussies classified themselves as cash-strapped users.
