Campaigners argue that the chaos caused by last week's global IT outage highlights the risks of moving towards a cashless society.

Supermarkets, banks, pubs, cafes, train stations, and airports were all affected by the failure of Microsoft systems on Friday, rendering many unable to process electronic payments. The impact was particularly severe for businesses that no longer accept cash.

The Payment Choice Alliance (PCA), which campaigns against the shift to a cashless society, lists 23 firms and groups with at least some outlets that only accept credit or debit cards.

“There will always be outages,” said Ron Delnevo, the PCA’s chair. “But if there is no alternative, then the whole system can collapse around you.”

Cash payments increased for the first time in a decade last year, according to UK Finance, which represents banks. The number of people who never use cash or use it less than once a month was 23.1 million in 2021 but declined to 21.6 million last year.

UK Finance stated that there is “definitely still a place” for cash. “It’s up to individual businesses, but we think it’s good to give people a choice. Most businesses still do offer cash.”

The GMB Union said the outage reinforced its long-standing view that “cash is a vital part of how our communities operate.” “When you take cash out of the system, people have nothing to fall back on, impacting how they manage everyday basics.”

Several smaller, unrelated outages have already impacted retailers this year. In March, McDonald’s, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Greggs experienced issues with their payment systems, though all these outlets also accept cash.

Authorities in China and the US have fined businesses for not accepting cash. Ron Delnevo stated that the UK should implement a law requiring all businesses to accept cash.

Martin Quinn, campaign director for the PCA, emphasized that using cash allows for anonymity. “I don’t want my data sold on, and I don’t want banks, credit card companies, and online retailers to know every detail of my life,” he said. He also noted that budgeting can be easier with cash. “If I go out for a night planning to spend £50, I might wake up with some change in my pockets. But if I’m just tapping my card in the pub, I could wake up to find I’ve gone into my overdraft.”

Link reported that, overall, its cash machines were operating at normal levels but were busier around supermarkets.