A cashless society would create a north-south divide as all major cash-reliant counties are in the north of England, the West Midlands or the devolved nations, a new research from PayPoint has revealed.
The research, published on 5 August, combines PayPoint sales data, looking at cash as an overall percentage of transactions in its network of 28,000 UK stores over 2020/21, with regional attitudinal data of how many people say they are reliant on cash.
The study has shown that over two thirds (67%) of all purchases in PayPoint’s network of convenience stores were made in cash over the fiscal. One in five (21%) people across the UK still use an ATM two to three times a week
Of the 48 UK counties included in the study, 43 have an overall cash reliance score of >50%, indicating that the need for cash by millions of people to support day-to-day expenditure is still of major importance across the whole of the UK.
County Down (69%) in Northern Ireland is the most cash-reliant county in the UK, followed by County Antrim, Lanarkshire, Merseyside and County Durham which all feature highly in the ranking.
“Among continued sensationalism and scaremongering over the decline of cash, it is more important than ever that we recognise its continued importance to communities around the UK,” Nick Wiles, chief executive of PayPoint, said.
“Despite the rise of digital payments during the pandemic, we must not forget that many people are still reliant on cash, and they are also often the most vulnerable in society. This is why PayPoint remains committed that, through our 28,000-strong retailer partner network, any individual can access cash whenever they need it.”
Wiles said the company will begin a nation-wide roll out of a new Over The Counter service to provide more cash access points for consumers later this year, following its hugely successful trial over the past year.
“It is the continued investment in such services that demonstrates PayPoint puts action over hyperbole in its ambition to safeguard cash access over the long term. I would urge our industry partners, competitors and Westminster to do the same,” Wiles added.
The UK’s cash reliance county rankings are as follows:
| UK County | Cash reliance score |
| County Down | 69% |
| County Antrim | 64% |
| Lanarkshire | 64% |
| West Midlands | 64% |
| Merseyside | 64% |
| County Durham | 63% |
| South Yorkshire | 63% |
| Midlothian | 63% |
| Lancashire | 63% |
| Renfrewshire | 63% |
| West Yorkshire | 62% |
| Angus | 62% |
| Gwent | 62% |
| Norfolk | 62% |
| Greater Manchester | 62% |
| Stirlingshire | 62% |
| North Yorkshire | 62% |
| Fife | 61% |
| Greater London | 61% |
| Mid Glamorgan | 61% |
| Cleveland | 61% |
| Tyne and Wear | 61% |
| Cheshire | 60% |
| Middlesex | 60% |
| West Lothian | 59% |
| Staffordshire | 59% |
| Derbyshire | 58% |
| Gwynedd | 58% |
| Essex | 57% |
| Warwickshire | 57% |
| Shropshire | 56% |
| Leicestershire | 56% |
| South Glamorgan | 55% |
| Lincolnshire | 55% |
| Bedfordshire | 55% |
| Northamptonshire | 55% |
| Kent | 55% |
| Nottinghamshire | 54% |
| Aberdeenshire | 54% |
| Hertfordshire | 52% |
| East Sussex | 52% |
| Surrey | 51% |
| Dorset | 51% |
| Hampshire | 49% |
| Berkshire | 49% |
| Buckinghamshire | 49% |
| West Sussex | 48% |
| Oxfordshire | 46% |
(Source: PayPoint)
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