Overview
- LINK’s Focaldata survey of more than 1,100 SMEs found 77% still accept cash even as 14% dropped it over the past 12 months.
- Cash remains significant in face‑to‑face trade, accounting for 46% of in‑person transactions and an even higher share in independent retail, cafés and pubs, convenience stores and launderettes.
- Fraud prevention was the top reason businesses stopped taking cash, followed by security worries, perceived low customer demand, handling costs and the loss of nearby bank branches.
- Four in five businesses (82%) said they want better access to deposit facilities such as Post Offices and shared banking hubs, a need LINK urges policymakers to address.
- A slight majority of firms (53%) would support mandating cash acceptance, though the Treasury says it has no plans to require it and points to rules intended to help businesses deposit cash.