These days you no longer have to take cash out with you, and that is a simple fact. With contactless technology you can go to your local shop first thing in the morning and buy your newspaper for less than a pound with your debit card. You can also go for a night out with friends without having to take a single penny with you; all you need is your debit card.
The rise of debit card payments
Primarily, pubs are like any other retailer or merchant, and they are simply moving with the times. The main reason is of course that, according to the Payments Council at least, only 41% of the £22.7 billion spent last year was cash. This shows an increasing demand for the debit and credit card.
Card usage in pubs become commonplace
Restaurants have been accepting debit cards on mobile credit card terminals for a long time, pubs have been accepting credit cards for some time as well; it’s just that not many people have known about it.
Traditionally, places like pubs and restaurants have had a minimum payment for debit card transactions simply to cover their merchant fees. Now with the introduction of contactless technology combined with the rise of debit card usage, customers expect to go into a bar and pay using their without having to carry cash at all. They also are less willing to pay an additional charge for what has become a basic service.
The business crowd
These days it’s far more likely for you to see pubs accepting debit and credit cards in the cities than in smaller public houses out of the way, but even these pubs are taking the plastic these days. There is an established drinking culture in the UK. As such, it is common for those working in the city to take their lunch at the pub.
The thing here is that many large businesses have expense accounts and many of them give cards to their heads of departments and other such individuals in order to go out and entertain clients or other staff members. It makes it a lot easier for the individual businesses to keep track of their spending and enable them more ease by using company credit cards, and the pubs absolutely love them!
The eating crowd
Obviously this is not just about business workers in the city, this is affects every pub out there at the moment; if they don’t do food then they generally don’t do very well as a business because all the others are selling food.
Pub food in the UK has become a phenomenon, and so many people are now choosing to go out and have their Sunday lunch in the pub these days rather that stay at home and cook themselves. In most pubs now there are facilities and food choices for everyone, playgrounds for kids and reasonable prices.
Summary
Pubs have become such an important place to meet, network, and play there is no wonder that the transformation to credit card processing has finally taken place.