ONE in five Brits never carry cash on them, according to new research.
A study of 2,000 people found that different methods including chip and pin or smartphone payments are far more popular at the till.
Half of those quizzed say they think cash is will soon be overtaken by alternative ways of paying for goods and services.
Three quarters revealed that they now expect every retailer they visit, to accept cash payment alternatives.
The research, by First Bus which accepts contactless payments and cash on all services, found 44 per cent have been left stumped at the checkout because they didn’t have actual cash to pay.
Examples included paying bus fares, parking and tourist attractions.
A First Bus spokesperson said: “We are proud to offer our customers the option to pay by contactless on every single bus that we operate across the UK.
“The way people pay for goods and services has evolved, so we needed to ensure our ticketing changed too.
“The introduction of contactless payments alongside our digital ticketing options means that paying for bus travel is more convenient and simpler than ever before as customers don’t need to worry about having the right change for their bus fare.”
Of those who don’t carry cash, four in 10 think other payment methods are easier and more convenient to use.
One in 10 don’t carry change because they think they’ll lose it, while a third don’t like carrying ‘shrapnel’ around.
A quarter of people say they don’t have time to go to an ATM to withdraw cash.
And one in five say they only coin they carry around is a pound for their shopping trolley.
Cheques are also on the decline too, with 58 per cent of those polled revealing they never use them while while 40 per cent don’t even own a cheque book.







