Consumers are increasingly wanting to be able to pay for online
goods and services using cash, according to research.
A survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of PayPoint.net, a new
division of PayPoint, found that people want to pay with cash even
when they shop online.
PayPoint.net offers a service where consumers can make an online
purchase, which is completed when they visit a PayPoint operator
and pay in cash.
According to the survey of 2000 people, online shopping is set
to continue to grow despite the recession. It found that 81% of
respondents were expecting to
spend more or the same amount online this Christmas and 20% of
respondents said they are trying to use cash more often than credit
or debit cards.
The reasons for doing this vary. More than two thirds listed
amongst reasons thatpaying by cash helped them better manage their
finances,and 33% said they were worried about debt.
According to Mark Hoban MP, shadow financial secretary to the
treasury, a service of this kind will help people excluded from
online shopping. About 11% of UK adults do not have a bank account
and cannot pay for things online, he said.
These are often the elderly or people with poor credit
histories.
"There is a group of people that do not have access to credit or
debit cards and are excluded from the benefits you get from
shopping online," he said.
These advantages include lower cost products and services."This
will give these excluded people the opportunity to access the
products and services we often take for granted," added Hoban.
However, the number of people that have internet access, and
are, therefore, capable of shopping online, is also a problem that
excludes people, according to Simon Griffiths, senior research
fellow at the Social Market Foundation. He said about a third of UK
households do not have a computer, adding,
"The digital divide is still a real issue."