‘It's wrong': Student who refuses to accept cashless parking meter takes fine to court
Oliver Griffiths has styled himself a 'cash crusader' and in a video recently shared on Facebook, he outlined his plan to challenge his fine in a bid to push back against a society that's increasingly rejecting cash payments.
'I've fallen victim to the incoming cashless society,' Mr Griffiths, dressed in a 'cash is king' T-shirt, said.
He claimed that: 'Last year, my university made parking only available through digital payment'.
'Instead of following along with the modern digital agenda, I left notes on my dashboard offering to pay in cash.'
The handwritten notes listed the student's mobile number and asked the parking inspector to call him to organise cash payment for parking.
Unsurprisingly, the letters did not do the trick and Mr Griffiths was fined for parking without a ticket.
Businesses in Australia do not have to accept cash as a payment method, although according to the ACCC, they should make their accepted payment options clear to consumers.
In this case, Mr Griffiths claimed that at the time he received his fine, signage stating that payment could be made 'by credit card or coins' was still visible in the car park.
'I, like so many other Aussies out there, believe cash is king,' he said, before vowing to challenge his fine in court.
In the video, Mr Griffiths also outlined a number of pro-cash arguments popular with many Australians, including that cash protects an individual's privacy and data, doesn't incur bank fees and can make it easier to budget.
Some 1.5 million Australians still prefer using cash to digital payments but as many as one in four businesses no longer accept cash payments.
In response to the ever-shrinking options for those still attached to cash, almost 210,000 Australians recently signed a Cash Welcome petition calling for guarantees for 'reasonable local access' to cash and banking services.
Cash made a big comeback around the pandemic, with cash use in Australia increasing by 22 per cent, or $19 billion, between March 2020 and December 2022, according to the Reserve Bank.
At the end of last year, the Albanese government unveiled a plan to protect cash as a payment method.
The cash mandate, which is expected to be brought in early 2026, will mean 'essential' businesses will have to accept cash.
Among those that have made the essential list are supermarkets, pharmacies, dentists, GPs, hardware stores, insurers, pet stores, vets, service stations and mechanics.
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News.com.au
an hour ago
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