For as long as there have been electronic payments, there has been talk of the theoretical "cashless society." Technologies do exit their respective stages at some point, of course — ask any owner of a stash of Betamax videos or 8-track cassettes — but the simple/elegant technology of tangible currency has a long life ahead of it, even in the face of digital payments and transactions.
"The cashless society is about as a real a possibility as the paperless office," said Mike Lee, president of the ATM Industry Association.
In fact, Lee says he sees money changing hands for at least another 100 years, and most likely for much longer.
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It is precisely that change and uncertainty that prompted ATM Marketplace, a sister site of Self-Service World, to conduct its own research, culling the collective opinions and outlook of more than 500 financial industry players.
To see the complete list of results, download the ATM Marketplace white paper, "Cash Habits and Expectations: Is a cashless society really possible?"
James Bickers is the editor of Retail Customer Experience, a sister site of Self-Service World and Kiosk Marketplace.
