Cash usage on the rise for second successive year

Cash use in the shops rose for a second year in a row in 2023 after a decade of falls, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Cash use in the shops rose for a second year in a row in 2023 after a decade of falls, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Notes and coins were used in a fifth of transactions last year as shoppers found cash helped them to budget better, said the BRC.

Overall, customers visited shops more frequently but made smaller purchases. The total number of transactions rose from 19.6 billion to 21.0 billion while the average amount spent per transaction fell from £22.43 to £22.03.

Meanwhile, card fees paid by retailers continued to grow. The total amount paid by retailers to banks and card schemes rose by over 25% in 2023. This brought the total card fees paid to £1.64 billion.

Chris Owen, Payments Policy Advisor, British Retail Consortium said:

'Persistent inflation and the cost-of-living crisis continued to affect households across the country and many consumers used cash to budget more effectively.

'However, the dominance of card payments continues apace, accounting for over 85% of spending. Card fees continue to rise at a substantial rate and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) must act upon the harms it has identified in its current market reviews. It must move swiftly to reform the market and implement remedies including price caps on fees and price rebalancing measures.'

Internet link: BRC

Any reference to a partner is to a member of the Limited Liability Partnership. A list of the partners is available for inspection at the registered office.
Registered to carry on audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investment business activities by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
Details about our audit registration can be viewed at www.auditregister.org.uk for the UK, under reference number 4235.


Get in touch

Why not drop us a line or fill in our very quick enquiry form

Address

AC Partners LLP, 869 High Road, North Finchley, London N12 8QA

Phone

0208 446 4200

Email

info@ac-partners.co.uk

Follow us
Image Captcha
Enter the number above

Home | About us | Contact us | Site map | Attribution | Accessibility | Disclaimer | Privacy Notice | Help |

© 2025 AC Partners LLP. All rights reserved. powered by totalSOLUTION

We use cookies on this website.