Leave Your Cash in the Bank: Use this Tech Instead

Let’s face it; cash is so last year. It’s dirty, bulky and easy to lose, not to mention easy to steal, and the banks that hold it are hardly fun to deal with. The good news is that right now; there are some great alternatives to cash that make paying for your morning coffee or that new piece of kit a breeze.

Check out these pieces of tech that are set to make cash all but obsolete:

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Contactless Cards

If you’ve had a new credit or debit card sent to you recently, there’s a good chance it features contact-free technology. This means that it contains a contactless chip, which can be read by compatible card readers. Using one of these cards, all you have to do is tap your card on the machine, and boom, your payment will be complete. There’s no fiddling around looking for cash or entering your pin number, which means fewer hold-ups at the cash register.

If you use this technology, it’s a good idea to have one of these Ekster Smart Wallets, which shield your card from being scanned by would be scammers. They’re also pretty good for carrying your smartphone too.

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​Apple Pay

If you have an iPhone 6 or higher, or you have an Apple Watch to use in conjunction with your iPhone 4-5S, you can use your phone to make payments at a wide range of shops.

Basically, you add your card details to your phone’s wallet and then you can use your phone at the contactless reader much like you would a contactless card, the only difference being that you will need to place your fingerprint on the Touch ID button. The added benefit of Apple Pay is that you can use it to pay more quickly online too.
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Apps

Venmo is a great little app that enables you to both send and request money with just a few taps of your phone screen. It’s best used for sending money to friends and family members, and because you can link it to your email or cell phone address, you will be instantly notified of any payments/requests that come your way.

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Digital Currencies

Digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ether are becoming more popular every day, and they’re a great way to pay for things without cash because you can send them to anyone anywhere who has a Bitcoin wallet and you can do this without going through the banks or other traceable methods if you would prefer your transactions to be private. They’re also a good way to invest your money because if you’re willing to have a little risk in your life, you can make a great deal of money playing the Bitcoin market in particular

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Microchips

If you’re really dedicated to going cashless, you could even have a microchip implanted under your skin, A number of Swedish commuters have already had their travel cards implanted into their hands to make the process of paying for travel simpler. Although this kind of thing is still in its infancy, it is only a matter of time before we’re all doing it.

With so many alternatives to carrying cash, you must be wondering why you bother with paper money and banks at all!