American cash usage on the wane - Aite

Unfortunately, I can't say I'm surprised by these findings. Despite its cost to the wider economy, cash is still essentially free for consumers, and with rulings such as the recent Durbin Amendment, I think we're moving further and further away from the concept of a cashless society.

The Durbin amendment will significantly reduce interchange fees, which are an important source of revenue for banks and, in turn, banks will need to look elsewhere to make their retail banking arms pay. As a result, banks will no longer be able to continue offering debit card products and the like for free, or at a very low cost (as many consumers are accustomed to today). We're bound to see an increase in charges being passed on to the consumer for electronic payment methods in the form of banking fees, which will inevitably drive people to use lower-cost alternatives - such as cash - instead. So one could even say that the Durbin Amendment indirectly encourages a "Cash-based Society" rather than a "Cash-less Society". Probably not quite what was intended!