A Tasmanian supermarket owner has been encouraging cash purchases and hopes the idea catches on to other stores.
According to 9news, Kosta Tzortzis, owner of IGA Richmond in Tasmania, has been offering five per cent discounts to people who pay in cash, since the end of the COVID pandemic.
“I’m surprised by how much attention it’s been getting,” he said.
“People have been talking about it.”
Tzortzis introduced the offer after he discovered that most card purchases incurred hidden credit charges, even debit cards.
“If your card has a logo, you’re getting a surcharge,” he said.
“The elderly customers are loving it, they like to see where their money goes.”
He added that people in their 30s and 40s were also keen, while younger customers still prefer to pay with their watch or phone.
Customers are even starting to show up with cash when they return to the store, even if they used card previously.
Tzortzis wants his idea to spread around other stores and see owners reward the use of cash because “if it goes away, it ain’t coming back”.
