The US adopted credit cards before the rest of the world, so we ended up with a worse network (essentially ossified at v1 when later adopters got v2 or v3).

Corona paranoia incentivized upgraded to tap-to-pay, but it was already prevalent in other parts of the world. It was more ubiquitous in Singapore in 2019 than it is in the US even now.

If a shop won't accept cash, I just leave.

>you can only tap your credit card because cash carries COVID [0]

maybe during peak covid? but certainly not now. this comment is either being intentionally disingenuous or just parroting a random article from an extraordinary (and no longer applicable) time of our lives and presenting it as if its still the current status quo.

i am in canada for weeks at a time multiple times per year, and i have family that live in BC, AB, and ON.

cash is my primary form of payment and not once have i been turned down using cash on any of my visits. not once has family complained about being unable to use cash (several of the older of them, like me, primarily use cash).

curious which overseas country that doesn't fall under the 'west' has cash as king

Credit cards are more convenient.

1. Double tap power button on a phone you are already holding

2. Tap the reader

Versus

1. Find an ATM

2. Take your wallet out of your pocket

3. Take your card out of your wallet

4. Spend a minute withdrawing cash from the ATM

5. Put the cash in your wallet

6. Put your wallet in your pants

7. Go to the actual place you want to spend money

8. Take your wallet out of your pocket

9. Take cash out of your wallet

10. Hand it over

11. Wait to receive change

12. Put the change in your wallet

13. Put your wallet in your pocket

If you want cash to make a resurgence you need to figure out how we can make a digital version of it.