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Not dead yet, the ups and downs of cash and other payments.
Set against the profound health and economic consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s reporting that at the end of April Australian Dollar currency in circulation hit a new all-time high, in part fuelled by a large jump in Australian Dollar $50 and $100 banknotes issued at the end of March 2020. In fact, in the month of March currency in circulation grew by $2,200 million, the 15th largest single monthly rise on record and the highest (by value) March increase ever. Growth in April was also strong, with a further net increase in notes on issue of $372 million, but news just out shows that, despite a widespread shut down of the Australian economy, banknotes continue to flood out of the Central Bank’s doors with total currency on issue [...]
Cash is not just a dirty word!
Amid the current furore about whether cash is safe to use, it’s timely to reflect that currency not only serves as a ready means of payment, but also a store of wealth. In a rush by some to abandon cash – or see its use side-lined – it is also important to consider than for many people around the world, cash is also often their only readily available means of payment. Cash is unique as it is both a way to pay and a store of value. This explains the contradiction between continued growth in currency in circulation, yet in many countries a decline in its transactional use. It is worth remembering that cash in its various physical forms – banknotes and coin of varying denominations - satisfy different public needs. As data [...]
Inside the cash cycle
For the consumer, the ready availability of cash is largely a given. Indeed in times of adversity people turn to physical currency as a safe store of value, a means of transaction that does not require working infrastructure - be that financial institutions, electricity or communication supplies - and often also as a budgetary tool to help manage household finances. The provision of currency is dependent on a highly complex supply chain both providing new and fit currency for withdrawal (the manufacturing supply chain), but also for the collection of deposits and surplus currency, in technical terms referred to as Reverse Supply Logistics. The cash cycle is in effect a Closed Loop Supply Chain on a vast scale. While this article was written by the Blond Group as a whitepaper for NCR, back [...]
Welcome to the third edition of ICG’s Retail Payments Innovation Global Industry Radar
The Blond Group, an affiliate of the Internal Consulting Group (ICG) has produced a number of research publications, including the Retail Payments Innovation Global Industry Radar (GIR). Here is an extract from the Top Themes from the August 2016 edition, a full copy of which can be downloaded below. Top Themes This edition of the GIR is grouped into nine top themes, seven carried over from the last edition, one updated and one new addition. We report continued significant innovation from domestic debit card and payment schemes. Notably Interac in Canada has achieved a number of domestic debit ‘firsts’ proprietary token generation and management service, being the first domestic debit scheme to be offered as part of Apple Pay and collaborating internationally with BankAxept, [...]