Business · Companies · 59 mins ago
Post Office urges retailers to include cash in payment backup plans
A survey commissioned by the Post Office found that 29% of people could not pay at a checkout in the past year because the store did not accept a payment method they could use.
Among those affected, 21% said the store did not accept cash.
UK retailers surveyed reported an average of three payment disruptions in the year.
Although 83% had a contingency plan, 90% did not include cash as a backup.
The Post Office warned that this could leave businesses unable to trade if digital payments fail, while cash can help them keep serving customers.
It has published guidance to help retailers plan for payment disruptions and urged them to keep cash acceptance available.
The Post Office has urged retailers to include cash in plans for payment outages.
A survey found that 29% of people had been unable to pay at a store checkout in the past year because the retailer did not accept a method they could use.
Among those affected, 21% said the retailer did not accept cash.
Although 83% of surveyed businesses had a contingency plan, 90% did not include accepting cash as a backup.
The Post Office has published guidance to help retailers plan for payment disruptions.
- Who
- The Post Office is urging retailers to include cash in payment backup plans.
- What
- It has published guidance for planning for payment disruptions.
- When
- The article was published on November 12, 2026. The survey was conducted in October.
- Where
- The research covered people and high street retailers across the UK.
- Why
- The Post Office warned that retailers could struggle to serve customers if digital payments fail.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Censuswide surveyed 2,000 people and 500 high street retailers across the UK for the Post Office.
The Evening Standard published the report on the Post Office’s call for retailers to include cash in backup plans.
- People unable to pay
- 29% had faced this problem at a store checkout in the past year
- Cash not accepted
- 21% of affected people said the retailer did not accept cash
- Business contingency plans
- 83% had a written or agreed plan
- Plans without cash backup
- 90% did not include accepting cash
- Retailer payment disruptions
- UK retailers surveyed reported an average of three in the last year
What people are saying
If cash usage is being encouraged, so should its acceptance.
When people lose access to other payment methods through outages or issues with networks, cash is a crucial safety net that allows businesses to continue trading and serving their communities.