One country is bucking the trend. Let’s hope Ireland is the start of a counter-trend. From Breeauna Sagdal at solarireport.substack.com:
Ireland is set to require supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, and other essential retailers to accept cash by late 2025, a move that will make it one of the first EU nations to tackle the cashless creep spreading across Europe. The new law not only mandates cash acceptance in key sectors but also locks in ATM access by preventing machines from being removed.
Until now, Ireland’s contract law merely has required that cash be accepted if it is to settle a debt. A legal loophole has existed that allows businesses to refuse cash as long as customers are notified before a service has been rendered.
As a result, the Irish are increasingly being met with “Card Only” notification signs across businesses, retailers, and grocers, and it’s sparking real-world frustration as elderly shoppers, low-income, and unbanked families are turned away—unable to buy groceries and basic necessities.
With contactless payments surging to 37% of all transactions, Ireland also faces risks over privacy, system failures, fraud, and security breaches stemming from cyberattacks on financial institutions and debt collection agencies.
