Cash is still king: central bank calls for action to keep notes and coins

The Dutch central bank has called on banks, the government and other agencies to ensure that cash remains readily accessible and available in the Netherlands for at least the next five years.

The call follows the publication of a report by the McKinsey group which sees a further decline in the use of cash in the Netherlands. This, the report says, may become a problem if electronic payment systems are disrupted because cash functions as a fall-back option.

In addition, it could also be problematic for people who are dependent on cash as their main means of payment, McKinsey said.

Before alternative, digital payment schemes can be developed as a fall-back option to replace cash, notes and coins must be widely available and accessible, the central bank said.

Banks are currently bringing in charges for cash withdrawals, and while this is understandable, the central bank says they should be careful not to place the burden of all the costs on cash users.

Nor, the bank said, should efforts to combat money laundering and fraud, for example, hamper the legitimate use of cash or obstruct the accessibility of the cash payment system.

Cash is still accepted by 96% of retailers, but 30% of them are encouraging customers to pay electronically, the report showed.

The use of cards to make payments outstripped cash in the Netherlands in 2017.