Physical Money No Longer Accepted In Parts Of England

In footage shared on social media controversial activist Piers Corbyn can be seen trying to make a purchase at the Aldi Shop and Go store in Greenwich, London.

The shop, which does not feature a traditional till, instead uses camera technology to track customers as they pick up items before charging them via an app upon their exit.

A person believed to be an Aldi worker can be heard telling him “police are on their way” as he tries to make payment with conventional cash and exits through the entrance gates, Corbyn continued to repeat that he has “paid by legal tender”. A small group that witnessed the incident then applaud and congratulate him when he walks out into the car park.

His praise has also been echoed by people online, who lauded him for standing up to the government’s new cashless policy, sweeping through the country. Others have however questioned the necessity of the stunt, as a Sainsbury’s with a normal cash and card till is located only a few feet away.

Some said the incident showed a misunderstanding of the concept of legal tender, as UK law leaves it at the discretion of individual businesses as to whether they accept specific notes, coins, or forms of payment.

Now physical cash is no longer accepted at Aldi in England with whole foods transitioning into to palm payments. 

Palm payments are a biometric payment system that works by having the customer hover their palm above a reader device. The device then identifies the individual’s unique palm signature which is then associated with the customer’s payment card on file in order to charge them for their purchases.

Britain has been at the forefront of the switch to a cashless society – a trend which is even more pronounced in the capital, especially since the pandemic, Many believe that the only people who benefit are the governments and British banks

But with the shift has come growing concern about groups who still want to use cash – including many older people, those on low incomes and people who want to keep tight control over spending.