Keep Cash is a winning message
How Perth retiree Kerrie discovered the big flaw with cashless payments – and won a $2,500 travel voucher.
Congratulations, Kerrie
As winner of our Keep Cash competition, Kerrie Sheedy has received a $2,500 travel voucher from National Seniors Travel.
Kerrie who received her prize from NSA chairman, Ross Glossop, at the Mid-Century Cafe in Yokine, said she and her husband, Paul, hope to use it towards a holiday in Glasgow, Scotland, where their daughter lives.
“We haven’t seen her for a couple of years,” Kerrie said, “so we thought this would be ideal opportunity to go back and visit her.”
Thanks to everyone who entered the competition and for helping spread the word that cash should continue to be recognised as an important part of Australia’s financial and payments system.
Thanks, too, to Peter and Jan from U3A Perth, who took the photo, and the friendly staff at Mid-Century Cafe.
The Keep Cash penny dropped for Kerrie Sheedy when she and her husband, Paul, were at the footy.
When the West Coast Eagles AFL fans went to buy a drink at Optus Stadium in Perth, they ended up going back to their seats empty handed.
“The system went down – and, as they don’t take cash, you couldn't buy anything,” Kerrie said. “All the stadiums around Australia that we’ve been to are now cashless.”
So, it was then – especially when she saw families who couldn’t buy food for their children – that she realised the importance of cash as a backup even for people who were comfortable using cards or electronic payment methods.
“There is room for both cash and cards because of that situation,” she said.
So, Kerrie knew exactly what to do when she encountered the National Seniors Australia (NSA) Keep Cash competition. She sent us a photo of herself in her footy gear, holding a Keep Cash sticker – and completed her entry with these words:
“I’ve experienced a cashless stadium’s system going down and they wouldn’t/couldn’t accept cash! Which meant, NO purchasing food and drinks at the footy, so they do need to KEEP CASH!”
Kerrie’s experience perfectly illustrates NSA’s Keep Cash advocacy, which champions the right for consumers to choose their payment method.
While NSA acknowledges the convenience of electronic payments, they maintain a crucial role for cash, not only as a backup during system failures but also for small transactions, charitable organisations, and vulnerable populations, particularly older generations.
Kerrie said that her late mother, like many older people, didn’t carry debit and credit cards.
“My mum refused to use cards,” she said. “She found it too daunting.”
Kerrie said she was concerned about charities that rely on cash donations – including her local bingo game run as a fundraiser for research into cystic fibrosis.
She noted that cash provides a sense of control over budgeting, especially for seniors and other people on limited incomes.
“I always, always have cash, because you need the backup. You never know what can happen.”
Kerrie’s experience and observations powerfully convey the importance of maintaining both cash and card options for a resilient and inclusive payment system.
