A holiday destination in Australia is facing criticism over a decision to remain cashless . Hamilton Island, located in Whitsundays, near the Great Barrier Reef , went cashless during the pandemic to protect staff and visitors health and safety. It has decided to keep this as a permanent feature to protect people’s health and for security and convenience on the island. In a statement on its website , the post says: ‘Cashless payments facilitate seamless, contactless transactions, promoting a hygienic environment for the well-being of both guests and staff. ‘Embracing cashless payments provides a hassle-free and efficient way for our guests to make payments, eliminating the need to carry cash or deal with change. ‘Prioritising your safety, cashless transactions significantly reduce the risk of loss or theft, offering secure and traceable financial transactions.’ The way in which payments on Hamilton Island work is with credit or tap-and-go with credit or debit cards which incur a 1.25% surcharge. No surcharge is applied for those who insert their cards and select the cheque or savings option. There are options for tourists to withdraw and deposit cash at the island’s Australia Post office and load it onto a ‘pre-paid or top-up Mastercard’ so they can spend it on the island. This decision has been met with backlash from holidaymakers online, who are unhappy over the decision. HOGSwayno90 posted on X: ‘Me and Mrs just cancelled our honey
moon here goin Bali instead.’ Meanwhile Marcin Lysakowski wrote: ‘I’m DEFINITELY not going unless this changes.’ Graham added: ‘Well looks like a lot of people will stop going there now.’ And Kay2 highlighted: ‘Was there last year nearly everywhere the staff saying it was for security, except the post office she had a sign “cash is king” that’s where we bought most things we needed.’
British dad stuck in one of the world's most notorious and lawless prisons Physically healthy 28-year-old woman will be euthanised next month At least 94 dead after overcrowded makeshift ferry sinks British man charged over 'exceptionally violent' death at Mad Hatter's Tea Party Hamilton Island is a top spot for those looking to explore Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and was purchased and renovated by winemaker Bob Oatley in 2003. The island welcomes around 5,000 visitors during the peak season who spend as much as £1,500 a night. The debate about a cashless society is controversial because many people still support having cash despite a decline in its use. Countries in Scandinavia are edging closer to a cashless society, as only 2% of payments made in Norway are done now with cash. Some of the most popular ways of paying cashless across the world include using
Apple Pay,
Google Pay and PayPal. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk . For more stories like this, check our news page . MORE : Radio star accidentally reveals colleague’s pregnancy live on air MORE : Rock icon behind AC/DC tours Garry Van Egmond dies aged 82 MORE : Charles ‘raring to go’ for Australia visit after positive start to
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