A trendy chain of popular bakeries has stepped back from its decision to go cashless after customers repeatedly expressed anger at staff.
On Tuesday, Paul Aron, owner of Mary Street Bakery in Perth, lifted the pandemic-era cashless policy at all five locations.
Aron said the “cashless” measure not only helped keep his staff safe, but also saved time for employees who no longer had to count money twice a day.
However, the recent backlash against cashless establishments had irritated customers to the point of abusing bakery employees.
“The reason we have returned is because the staff were being abused,” Mr Aron said. WAToday.
Mary Street Bakery in Perth has abandoned its cashless payment policy after angry customers abused staff.
Pictured are staff at Mary Street Bakery in Perth.
He added that accepting cash was “an expense and a nuisance” but promised to get it back.
“Over time I also realized that some people find it difficult not to use cash and I don’t want to alienate any of our customers,” he said.
The decision came on the same day a group of independent MPs in Canberra introduced the bill to maintain cash transactions in Australia. The bill aims to prevent Australia from becoming a cashless society as cash transactions continue to decline.
If passed, the laws would require cash as a payment option for any transaction up to $10,000.
Anyone who refuses a cash payment in these circumstances could be fined up to $5,000, while a company would have to pay a maximum fine of $25,000.
Former National MP Andrew Gee revealed the new proposal alongside fellow independents Dai Le and Bob Katter.
“Many people, both in my electorate of Calare and across our great country, have concerns and fears that the use of cash for transactions in Australia is being phased out and will soon disappear,” Mr Gee said.
‘Surprisingly, while the law states that notes and coins are legal tender, there is currently no legal requirement for notes or coins to be accepted for transactions in Australia.
The bakery chain had signs in stores saying: ‘We only accept card payments’
“In other words, carrying Australian banknotes is no guarantee of being able to complete a cash purchase; everything is at the discretion of the company. If a business tells you they won’t accept cash, you don’t have to.’
Katter, the Kennedy member, said it was vital that hard currency remained a payment option.
“Taking away cash, and therefore taking away people’s choices and freedoms, is fundamentally unfair,” he said.
“With cash, we control it: we control how we spend it and save it.”
Cash advocacy group Cash Welcome welcomed the introduction of the bill and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton to support it.
“Now the government can act, quickly and easily, to protect our right to access and use cash,” a statement from Cash Welcome said.
A customer trends report published in 2023 by the Australian Banking Association found that Australians are the largest users of cashless payments in the world, with almost 99 per cent of customers banking online.
Cash now accounts for just 13 per cent of all total customer payments in Australia.
A report published by the RBA in 2023 found that 72 per cent of Australians classified themselves as cash-poor users.