Cash is Freedom

Cash empowers anyone to pay without boundaries. It loves to travel, is welcome everywhere and enables people to spend and save as they choose, with no dependence on third parties.

Physical money is a well-loved and widely used aid for day to day budgeting, and it also helps save money, time and embarrassment when travelling. Having a set amount of local currency to last the duration of a holiday is an easy way to avoid overspending. Travel experts also recommend it for paying sole traders or small businesses, for tipping and to avoid potentially costly exchange fees that can be incurred when using a debit or credit card.

Cash also equals freedom at home, enabling individuals who may not be willing or able to access cashless payments to make and receive payments. The many barriers to entry for cards or other cashless options—from lacking the hardware or technological knowhow to access payment apps to simply not meeting the income requirements for an account—do not exist when using cash.

Cash also means choice, with many people preferring to receive gifts in the form of banknotes and coins rather than vouchers or items they may not need. Cash tops the list of preferred wedding presents in Bangladesh for precisely this reason: it’s immediate, convenient and enables couples to spend or save as they wish, rather than pretending to be grateful as they receive their fourth juicer or rice cooker.

Alongside these benefits, cash is a powerful enabler for people suffering abuse to save money and make discreet purchases without anyone else being aware, giving them greater opportunities to plan an escape or seek help. It also helps stabilise economies in emergency situations, allowing people to purchase essentials such as food, fuel and shelter at times when electronic payment systems are unavailable for days or weeks at a time. During 2022’s disastrous flooding in New South Wales, helicopters flew cash into the worst-affected areas!

But freedom is just one of the joys of cash! Look for us on your social media channel of choice to see our full series and find out more about how cash supports a friendly, inclusive and joyful world!