A consumer group is urgently calling on the federal government to follow other jurisdictions in the U.S and Europe and bring in legislation to stem the slide toward a cashless society.

Only 10 per cent of transactions in Canada today are done using cash, according to Carlos Castiblanco, an economist with the group Option Consommateurs.

“There is a need to protect cash right now before more merchants start refusing [it],” Castiblanco recently told CBC Radio’s Ontario Today.

It’s critical to act now, he added, before retailers begin removing all the infrastructure required to store and maintain physical money.

  • Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    isn’t that partially why those who dont want minimum fees look for a credit union that doenst charge minimum fees?

    • rozodru@lemmy.ca
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      2 days ago

      but then you have the hurdle of actually being able to join a credit union. I remember a couple years ago I was trying to help one of my clients get a credit union account (who was homeless but working) and he couldn’t get it. don’t remember the specific reason but I do know we went across the street and was able to open a scotiabank account.

      It was Merdian bank so don’t know how good they are. I figuerd the credit union would be easier to work with in his case since like you said there’s no minimum fees, I was wrong.

      • DerisionConsulting@lemmy.ca
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        2 days ago

        The hurtles are generally:

        • lack of an ID
        • lack of a Phone number
        • no Address
        • the need to buy a share in the credit union to open the account in the first place