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Will the Apple cash app bear fruit?

March 7, 2013 by Ron Delnevo — Chairman, Cash and Card World

I have to admit that initially I thought it was an early April (or do I mean Apple?) Fool.

The news I am referring to is the plan by Apple to launch a smartphone app that will facilitate a user who needs cash to link up with another user who has cash to spare. The cash will physically change hands, with the "donor" getting the money plus a small fee back through their Apple account.

Some commentators are incredulous at this development. They have expressed amazement that high tech player Apple would have any interest in promoting the use of cash. Amongst other negative comments have been references to the fact that "governments" want rid of cash.

I have no idea whether or not many people will find this new app useful.

What I do know, however, is that anything that makes cash even more user-friendly than it is already has to be a good idea.

Those that seek to marginalize cash usually have a vested interest. Most times they are touting some card or mobile payment solution that they claim is infinitely better than cash.

The problem the "card pushers" face is that cash stubbornly refuses to go away.

Many people still use cash frequently. Most use it at least sometimes.

However often people use cash, when they do so they are exercising their free choice.

And that, of course, is what opponents of cash dislike most of all.

Choice, freedom, independence, privacy — these are all concepts disliked by those who profit from us all conforming to their model of behavior.

Card schemes would love it if the public had no choice but to use their services. They would then know everything about everybody and use that knowledge to direct us all only to what they want to sell.

As if the maneuvers of card schemes were not worrying enough, it is actually quite scary to think that there might be governments that want to get rid of cash.

I cannot think of any government on our planet that I would trust more than I trust cash.

Governments that can be termed democratic usually last for about 5 years. Cash has been around for over 2500 years.

In which would YOU rather place your trust?

So hearty applause for Apple for supporting the world's most popular payment method.

I look forward to more high tech companies following Apple's lead, as they too realize that promoting cash is good for the public- and good for business.

About Ron Delnevo

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