Is Cash Better?

Many stores and businesses these days feel it is an advertisement to reduce the price of their merchandise if a consumer pays in cash rather than with a credit/debit card. Somehow this must be related to the increase in bad checks and bounced card transactions, but it leaves you wonder; are they rewarding an antiquated currency? Secure electronic transactions must be the payment of choice in the upcoming century. It is bulk-less, faster to process, and has fraud and theft prevention. I am not saying that we will always carry the magnetic striped card in our wallets forever. Those things can get lost and no one even checks whether you have your card or the one you swiped off some old man’s dashboard. The instant electronic transaction will one day be impervious to identity theft and hacking and will probably be integrated in some computer mainframe where with the right retinal scan your money can be accessed from any kiosk in the world with the proper exchange rate taking place instantaneously. Money is so dirty and cumbersome, but gas is seven cents cheaper if you pay with cash than with the card. Apparently, Chevron has never seen the Visa fiasco where the teller actually has to stop and count the money instead of swiping one purchase after another. One day this will all be sorted out but one thing is for sure: money is not going anywhere fast.