Which? comments on card payment outages at Co-op and Morrisons

Gareth Shaw, Which? Head of Money said:

“This was a concerning situation for shoppers and reinforces why cash is such a vital back-up when technology fails – even for those who prefer to use digital payments.

“A reduction in retailers accepting cash during the pandemic has combined with widespread bank branch and cash machine closures to push the UK’s already fragile cash system even closer to the brink of collapse.

“To avoid cutting off millions of people from their preferred payment method, the government must urgently introduce the legislation promised in last year’s budget and the industry must commit to supporting the existing cash network until a new system is in place.”

Statement