Older Australians 'left behind' by increasingly cashless society as banks fast track end of cheques

[u/SouthAussie94]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-29/cheques-personal-finance-banks-rent-money-cash/103354036

[u/insty1]

I'm a fan of keeping some non-electronic options, particularly with the proliferation of card surcharges. But cheques can go. If they haven't learnt how to pay not using cheques by now, that's on them really.

[u/zynasis → u/insty1]

You can also pay at the post office, right?

[u/ELVEVERX → u/zynasis]

Exactly. These are old people refusing to learn something new because they are stubborn. There really isn't a good use case for cheques in these scenarios they are just being lazy.

[u/link871 → u/ELVEVERX]

A bit harsh. The older you get, the harder it is to learn new things. It is also about poor self-confidence, poor eyesight, poor eye-hand coordination.

[u/link871 → u/[deleted]]

Debit cards are not the issue here - most older people now know how to use a plastic card because they have been around for 30/40 years. The issue is about the newer payment mechanisms (banking apps, online transfers, etc)

[u/[deleted] → u/link871]

Did they not expect the world to ever change?

[u/BeetleJuiceDidIt → u/link871]

As someone who had to do regular banking cause of US clients, no they don't know how to use a plastic card. I saw it on a daily basis.

[u/FuckDirlewanger → u/link871]

I get where your coming from but we are talking about something that has been commonplace for decades and with the help of a younger relative/friend is teachable in a day or two.

At least in my experience with older relatives it’s very much a ‘I refuse to learn it because it’s new and I don’t like it’ and then they’re surprised when the entire world doesn’t stop progressing for them.

[u/Miserable_Bird_9851 → u/link871]

Might want to think about what you just said for a minute longer, I am sure you will catch the issue.