Thousands of supermarket customers call for self check-out change

North Wales Live

3 days ago

Campaigners are calling for supermarkets to ensure self-checkouts in their stores accept cash payments. Some customers say they penalise customers who don't want to pay by card.
More than 60,000 people have signed a petition calling for an end to the "discrimination" felt by opponents of self-checkouts (SCO) which don't accept cash. Self-checkout systems first appeared in UK supermarkets in the 1990s, and have been rolled out widely in the last few years so that they usually outnumber manned checkouts in most large shops.
However some retailers have admitted the technology has gone too far, and have started to bring back staff at tills. Booths removed almost all self checkouts (SCOs) in late 2023, citing customer preference for staffed tills, reports WalesOnline.
Elsewhere Morrisons admitted in mid‑2024 they 'went too far' with SCOs and have been reviewing and scaling down their self‑service lanes. Asda also acknowledged reaching a saturation point by mid‑2024, pledging to add more staff to manned checkouts and reduce SCO reliance.
And Itsu food‑service chain announced in early 2025 they'd add more staffed tills across outlets after over‑reliance on SCOs sparked customer complaints.
For its part from Spring this year Tesco began trialling dual‑mode "swivel" checkouts in some stores - tills that can be operated as either manned or self‑service - with a single staff member overseeing multiple tills when in SCO mode. This allows flexibility depending on store traffic and staffing.
Now, a petition has been launched calling on all retailers to change the rules on SCOs - particularly when it comes to accepting cash. There is an online petition. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
A statement about this campaign on change.org reads: "We, the undersigned, are calling on UK supermarkets to stop limiting access to cash payments at self-checkouts. More and more stores are installing banks of card-only self-checkouts, with just one or two accepting cash – or none at all."
They say the limiting cash payments "creates a two-tier system" and they say it unfairly penalises:
Older people who rely on cash
People with disabilities or mental health conditions who need to budget manually
Those on Universal Credit or without full access to banking
Anyone who prefers cash for budgeting, privacy, or safety
The petition adds: "Cash remains legal tender. Yet supermarkets are quietly making it harder - and slower - to use. We are not against digital payments - we're against having no choice. No one should be forced into a cashless system."
Petitioners are asking:
That all self-checkout areas include a fair number of cash-accepting tills - not just one token machine
That clear signage shows where people can pay with cash
That there is a commitment from supermarkets to protect freedom of payment for all customers.
The petition adds: "Money is money. Inclusion matters. Choice matters."
More than 60,000 people have signed the petition and left their support. Derek wrote: 'Some people find money easier to manage when it is in cash form. Taking away the option to pay by cash discriminates against those people. We must not abandon the option, nor should we take it away in increments until card-only is the only option.'
Shona added: 'I have disabilities and cash for me is easier to manage and less confusing than paying by card and checking online.'
The petition comes amid fears people are getting worse service from their banks and finding it harder to access cash. John Howells, chief executive of cash access and ATM network Link said: 'It is vital that we maintain good options for people to pay in cash and for businesses to bank their cash.
"We can't afford to leave cash users behind as more people go digital. That's why we're committed to the rollout of banking hubs across the UK, alongside a reliable ATM network and a widespread Post Office network.'
Gareth Oakley, chief executive of Cash Access UK said: 'We know first-hand the importance of access to cash and face-to-face services."
More than three-quarters of people believe it is important to have the option to pay with cash and four-fifths think all shops should accept it, a survey has found. 52% of people said they had been somewhere during the previous two months that had not accepted or had discouraged the use of cash - and 56% said this was an inconvenience to them.
It found that contactless via cards was the most preferred payment method among people surveyed, with 40% choosing this option. But nearly two-thirds of people said that physical coins and banknotes gave them confidence that 'nothing would go wrong', such as a payment outage.
Indeed cash remains particularly popular among people aged 55 and over, with 25% preferring cash compared with 8% of 25 to 34-year-olds, the survey indicated. Supermarkets and convenience stores are the most popular places where people have spent cash, the research indicated.
Graham Mott, Link director of strategy said: 'Cash remains a critical part of the UK's payment landscape. This research shows that, while digital payments are growing, cash continues to play a vital role in financial inclusion, budgeting and consumer choice.'
Earlier this month, it emerged that the Bank of England will monitor cash acceptance, following a Treasury Committee report which raised concerns about the future of coins and banknotes. In its response to the report, the Government said the Bank had committed to continuing to include an additional question on cash acceptance in its survey of consumers, after it was introduced in January.
The committee has highlighted how UK businesses and organisations can choose to refuse cash with no legal duty to accommodate customers' varying needs. Its report, published earlier this year, warned that a lack of action to tackle declining cash acceptance could lead to a two-tier society with the most vulnerable bearing the cost. MPs called for improved monitoring.
The committee highlighted that vulnerable groups, such as people with learning disabilities, domestic abuse victims and the elderly, could be particularly affected.
Ross Borkett, banking director at the Post Office, said: 'The latest data released by Link reinforces why cash access and acceptance in the UK remains so important. The confidence cash gives to people is clear - we know our customers rely on it to ensure they can budget effectively and when digital systems go down, cash continues to offer a secure and reliable alternative to online payments.
'In June alone, 6.97 million personal cash withdrawals were made at Post Office branches totalling £921.63 million, up 8.7% from last year - a clear sign that cash continues to play an essential role in everyday life.
'As more businesses go cashless, many people risk being excluded. Post Office branches help ensure that people can access cash by acting as a secure and accessible option across the country, so no one is left behind.'