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Hey everyone,
Almost year to the day from the launch of the new polymer 5 pound note, its big brother the 10 pound note arrives tomorrow! Like the fiver, the new 10 pound note is made of a plastic polymer and is cleaner, will last longer and can even survive a trip through the washing machine! The note will feature the 19th century author Jane Austen, who is most well known for the Pride & Prejudice novel.
Last years fiver caused some upset to the vegan and some religious communities as the polymer contained trace amounts of tallow which comes from animal fat. Unfortunately the 10 pound note will still contain tallow, as will the planned twenty pound note due in 2020.
On the plus side the new notes feature enhanced security features such as micro lettering and holograms and will have raised areas to help the blind and partially sighted 
After using the new style fivers for a year what do you think of them? Are you a fan or would you like to return to the more traditional notes?
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There's certainly some good reasons to stick with cash. They just make it so convenient to go cashless here! The plastic notes are a lot harder to forge so hopefully their introduction in Thailand will help with the counterfeit problem!
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Yes, @Martin-O2 it is very easy to go cashless here in London.
I personally prefer it my purse is a lot lighter - not loads of change weighing it down. I always found myself breaking into notes to save time at the till and then wound up with loads of change and few notes!
Not used my phone to pay yet though I have this facility on my phone. Still prefer my debit card for the present anyway.
I personally prefer it my purse is a lot lighter - not loads of change weighing it down. I always found myself breaking into notes to save time at the till and then wound up with loads of change and few notes!
Not used my phone to pay yet though I have this facility on my phone. Still prefer my debit card for the present anyway.
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@Glory1 It really is easy! Even the smallest shops take contactless.
I do the same thing and end up with a load of change. I just save it all up and take it to the bank at the end of the year. Usually end up with a few hundred quid which is nice at Christmas time!
I see a lot of people using their phones to pay for the train now but I've not set this up myself yet.
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You can even pay parking metres with wireless cards, for a good 12 months now.
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@jonsie It's an option almost everywhere these days!
Where are you based @ComaChameleon? I was reading an article today about how only around 30% of people want to go completely cashless. There is still a strong desire to have it available for several reasons. Knowing what you've spent and fraud risks being the biggest concerns.
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I guess I will eventually go contactless but just not for the moment @Martin-O2.
Also agree paying by card can mean spending loads without realising it. I used to think that way. That's why when I'm out shopping I check my balance regularly. Got my bank app on my phone so it's easy to do. And I stop myself before I get into trouble.
Having a list of what I need to buy and sticking to it also helps 😉
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@Glory1 Yes you can easily over spend on a card when out shopping unless you're careful! I tend to have a budget that I try to stick too. As long as I add up what I've already spent I can make sure I don't go over.
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@ComaChameleon wrote:
@Martin-O2 wrote:
Where are you based @ComaChameleon? I was reading an article today about how only around 30% of people want to go completely cashless. There is still a strong desire to have it available for several reasons. Knowing what you've spent and fraud risks being the biggest concerns.
Germany.
Aswell as the desire nobody (like banks) need to know what you bought.
Here it's additional expensive to get a creditcard (20€ is the cheapest per year) PLUS the cost for your debitcard, the account etc.
I'm thinking about changing to an online-bank without fees....
Are you saying you have to pay fees for a debit card and a bank account in Germany @ComaChameleon?
Here there are no fees for having a debit card or an ordinary current account. Not sure about the various credit cards as I don't and won't have one. Too easy to get in debt with one. I know from personal experience 
You will have charges on your current account if you go overdrawn - spend more money than is actually in your account - without prior agreement with your bank.
There are various other bank accounts as well as an ordinary current account but I've never had enough money to have one of these. And they may charge a fee I don't know.
Interesting to learn the differences between countries. I can certainly understand why Germans prefer using cash rather than cards!
