The majority of us have been told NOT to pay in cash: More than half of people say they've had coins and notes rejected in recent weeks

• e-mail

More than half of people have had their cash rejected by retailers or been discouraged from using it in recent weeks, new research finds.

The dash towards a cashless society is inconveniencing huge numbers of shoppers who want to make purchases with coins and notes.

Across the country people report most commonly facing frustrations at restaurants, cafes and while trying to pay for parking, with London coming out as home to the most cash refuseniks.

No thanks: The dash towards a cashless society is inconveniencing huge numbers of shoppers who want to make purchases with coins and notes

The report from Link, the cashpoint network, finds that three in five shoppers in the capital have been dissuaded from using cash or told point blank that it wasn't accepted in the last eight weeks.

Graham Mott, of the group, says: 'We know many people are comfortable paying with cards or online, but there are still millions of people who don't use technology and where this is problematic.'

However, more than seven in ten people have used cash in the last two weeks, according to Link.

Consumer rights expert Martyn James believes the cost-of-living crisis could help turn the tide on the demise of cash. 

He says: 'In the pandemic I became concerned that businesses were using social-distancing rules to hasten the death of cash transactions. 

'But evidence suggests people are increasingly turning back to cash as a way to budget, keep on top of finances and curb spending, so this is not the time to make life more inconvenient for cash users.'

[email protected]