[Jan Fisher]

Visitors to Hamilton Island are in for a rude surprise, the tourism hot spot has gone cash free and not everyone is happy about it.

The island initially went cash free during the pandemic but has decided to continue the practice.

Island management states that they have continued due to hygiene, it’s ‘hassle-free’ for guests, eliminating the need to carry cash or deal with change and it reduces the chances of loss or theft.

This is not going down well with some travellers, and I was one of them.

I recently went to Hamilton Island for a wedding and it was a rude surprise to find out my holiday money I’d squirreled away for the year was worthless.

The staff helpfully told me I could buy a pre-paid card at the post office, which was of no use at all because it was Saturday and it was closed.

We got by on our credit and debit cards, but it was annoying in the extreme to our carefully budgeted holiday.

No surprises that using your card comes attached with a surcharge of 1.25 per cent which must be a nice little earner for the island owners.

You can avoid this by inserting your EFTPOS card and selecting cheque or savings, but you will still be slugged with the 1.25 per cent if you use a debit card or credit card.

Visitors aren’t taking it well, with news outlets reporting on comments such as “boycott it”, “crossing it off my list” and “just another place to avoid”.

On one level I can understand it, where are you going to bank your cash on an island without a bank, but a heads up would have been helpful before we got there, and maybe make sure more than one outlet can sell pre-paid cards.

Would this move influence where you went on holiday?

[Frankly]

Cash is still legal tender and hopefully will remain son for the future. How can any commercial establishment refuse to accept it? Logic says that this is not legal to refuse cash for payment. If the government doesn’t take the lead on this we as consumers need to boycott such commercial establishments that refuse to accept cash.

[Allen Gilchrist]

Didn’t these places learn anything from the recent Queensland floods when a small tourist town was cutoff and all their electronic machines were unable to be used nobody could do any business, all these people that are pushing for a cashless society haven’t any brains because if something happens to wipeout the electronics around the world we would sent back to the dark ages, people rely to much on electronics.

[Des]

Cruise ships don’t use cash, and it doesn’t affect their operation. An island is little different to a ship at anchor. They should simply issue their own cashless transaction cards, linked to a credit card number, and settle accounts at the end of the stay.

[[email protected]]

Unfortunately those who push for a cashless society have no plan B for when the digital system goes down, as it does and will continue to do so, as man made it and man will continue to break into it causing mayhem as history has repeatably shown us. Before long I expect a major digital crash will occur for long enough to cause a lot of pain for individuals and business. My advice. Don’t abandon your access to your personal cash reserves. You are going to need it.

[Barry Clarke]

Just do not use the services of those that will not accept cash & I am using cash more & more for smaller purchases. One person was so grateful & he said you just saved me $1.00
Baz

[Author]

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