Starbucks has issued a statement after social media reports emerged suggesting the coffee shop giant could be going cashless. A sign has been shared on social media saying cash would not be accepted in a particular branch after October 1.
It triggered a huge response from social media users. Many have criticised the claims, with Starbucks now speaking out against the rumour.
The company said it has no blanket ban on cash at its UK sites, reports NorthWalesLive. It said there were no plans to go cashless in future, but said individual franchises could introduce their own policies.
The firm said that a majority of sites continue to offer cash as a payment option to customers. Legally in the UK businesses can refuse to accept cash if they offer alternative payment methods, in the same way that some businesses still only offer cash payments. Concerns however have been raised about the move to a cashless society.
Charlie Evans, a customer in a Welsh Starbucks store, said he was unable to use cash recently. He said: "Decisions like this exclude the elderly; homeless; and other disadvantaged groups. We're not ready for cashless and there is no need."
A spokesperson for Starbucks said: "Starbucks has no plans to go cashless across our UK stores and we want to shut down any inaccuracies or further speculation on this matter. In the UK, we operate alongside various licensee business partners, which means this may vary from store to store and the majority of stores continue to offer cash payments to customers."
