SUPERMARKET giant Morrisons is planning to convert many of its scan-only tills to cards, in a fresh blow to cash-reliant shoppers.
The street favorite believes that an increasing number of bettors no longer want to pay with coins and bills since the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Morrisons introduces change to self-checkout in stores Credit: Getty
But some customers are upset by the move, which was first spotted by Sun investigators at a Caterham store.
And the activists labeled that move as “insidious”.
Signs at the popular Surrey branch warn customers that “most self-scan (cash registers) will convert to cards only”.
Morrisons regular Jack Catten, 68, told us: “I’m miserable. I don’t have a debit card and rely on cash from my pension to buy essentials like groceries and medicine.
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“Now I will be forced to stand in line for a special cash register that accepts notes and coins.
“I don’t understand why Morrisons treat their customers with such disrespect.
“We all pay our customers – either in cash or by card.
“My weekly shopping trip will be completely ruined and I know a lot of others who feel the same way.
“Looks like Morrisons don’t want our custom anymore.”
Critics say the move – which is being implemented in stores across the country – will leave dozens of shoppers who still rely on cash struggling to pay.
Dennis Reed, director of campaign group Silver Voices, said: “Our members regularly comment on clever moves by supermarkets to phase out cash by reducing the number of cash payments.
“There are often queues for those who can only pay in cash, and sometimes all the points are broken.
The government claims to protect cash but does nothing to stop supermarket giants from making cash impractical to use.
“Morrisons is telling older customers, to hell with you if you insist on using cash, you are not welcome here. “
Marc Gander of the Consumer Action Group added: “Some people are still not ready for this sort of thing and Morrisons didn’t understand that.
“Of course, people who will wait longer in line for fewer cash registers will be older and more vulnerable people.
“For a company that started in the North, I rather think they are betraying their roots.
“I guess this is their idea of progression. They want to become a ‘South East England’ supermarket and this is their way of doing it.”
Consumer campaign group Which? has previously warned of customers unable to pay for essentials such as medicine and groceries as more and more stores go cashless.
And last year the Post Office reported that Britain was a long way from becoming a cashless society after it reported a 20% annual increase in the number of customers withdrawing notes from its branches.
In 2022, Sun investigators revealed that some of the UK’s biggest chains – including pubs Pizza Hut, Prezzo and Cote – have all run out of cash.
Jenny Ross, which one? money editor, added: “While many shoppers prefer the convenience of card and digital payments at the supermarket, cash remains a vital lifeline for millions of people across the UK.
“Morrisons must ensure that cash remains a payment option for those who rely on it.”
A Morrisons spokesman told The Sun: “All our stores will continue to offer a combination of cash and card payment options, so if a customer wants to pay in cash, they will be able to do so.
“After the pandemic, we saw that more and more of our customers are choosing to pay by card, both at cash registers serviced by our colleagues and at our self-service cash registers, so this change is aimed at ensuring the right number and combination of places to pay with cash and cards in our stores.
“As a result, we will also be converting a number of our current payment points to card only in some of our stores.”
The outrage comes after Booths – known as the Waitrose of the North – announced this week that it was axing self-checkouts in most stores.
Shoppers at Aldi have also been warned to check their receipts after fans slammed a “disgusting” problem with till discounts.
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