One thing no-one's mentioned here is safety. Cashless payments are much safer for everyone - no armed robberies to worry about etc.
Everyone kicked off when paying in cash was removed from London Buses but I'm not aware of hoards of people being unable to travel because they don't have a contactless card.
That depends on your viewpoint. If the trader yes, the consumer no.
A purchase using cash is untraceable. Loose even £100 in notes and that is it.
With contactless the account can be wiped before a lost / stolen card is blocked. Depending on circumstances eventually at least some might be refunded but there is the problem of both lack of card and empty bank account at the time.
Using a card in a major store is negligible risk. Maybe perception but potentially a bigger risk at a small trader who can skim the card or access the transaction details. My manager at work, now retired, who also was a good personal friend would only pay cash at his convenience store and never use the local independent filling station. What about street markets, food stalls at events etc where the trader is not known or even if details available unlikely to be recorded then of course become uncontactable. Not to mention taxi & private hire. If paid to the office reading out card details perhaps a bigger risk than using a reader in the vehicle ?
The details might not be used right away but a month or more later.
Restaurant tip (first since lockdown), where I DON'T want it to go through the card, with all the skimming that takes place with tips there.
First the tip is for the individual staff who served you and ideally shared with the kitchen staff on duty NOT the business. Second if expenses involved the tip is personal not from the business.
I agree potentially issues as no Tax / NI paid but that is going significantly OT and nothing to do with cash or cashless.
Without cash how do I leave a Christmas tip for the refuse teams on the bin and for the postie on the letter box ? Buy a load of £5 high street gift cards which can not be used at the pub for a round or towards a meal ?
My barber's are still cash only.
How to pay tea / coffee fund at work ?