A Woolworths staff member who has worked at the supermarket for two decades has called out a recent change to the retail giant’s cash policy.
Taking to Facebook this week, Darren Morfoot pointed out Woolworths used to allow small cash withdrawals by asking at the service desk – but this now requires a purchase beforehand.
‘Since when did Woolworths introduce that you have to buy something in order to just withdraw cash. Only found that out today,’ Mr Morfoot said.
Mr Morfoot, from Bondi in Sydney, said he has been employed with the company ‘for 20 years and only just found this out’.
The switch is among recent changes around the handling of cash, which the supermarket has said is becoming less common as customers choose to pay electronically via swipe or tap-and-go.
Woolworths no longer offers cash withdrawal without purchase at its stores
In September last year, Woolworths reduced the maximum cash amount that could be withdrawn from $500 to $200 and flagged that it would introduce the purchase requirement the following month.
A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail on Wednesday the shift was due to ‘the lack of cash being used, with the majority of customers opting for card-only transactions’.
‘We understand cash remains an important payment option for some customers.
‘That’s why we’ll continue to offer the ability to withdraw cash.’
It is understood there is no minimum purchase amount required at this stage to withdraw cash.
Mr Morfoot said that in recent years, the supermarket’s shift away from handling cash and a preference towards customers scanning their own items and paying by card was obvious.
‘We have 12 self-serve checkouts, and only two take cash, which are hidden by a pole,’ he said.
‘With the checkouts, when the store manager goes home, it’s basically self-serve or nothing.
Back in October, shoppers were told they will only be able to get $200 out at Woolworths
Aussies said places to withdraw cash were becoming increasingly hard to find.
‘This was my preferred way to get cash out with all the banks closing or reducing hours,’ one person said.
‘Especially since the banks took away their ATMs and put in privately owned ones that charge extra fees to get your money,’ said another.
‘They (Woolworths) used to always ask you if you would like to get money out when you did he shopping and they don’t do that anymore,’ a third said.
‘That’s fine if you have a bank in your area, my closest is a 40 minute drive away,’ another said.
‘For months I’ve felt like I was doing something wrong whenever I’d go into a bank to get my money out and they come running up to push you outside to an ATM,’ a fifth said.
According to the Global Payments Report, cash will account for just 2 per cent of point-of-sale transactions by 2025 and digital wallets are set replace cards as the preferred way to electronically pay.
Numerous concerns have been raised about a shift to cashless society including the increased risk of hacks and scams, access to funds drying up when electricity or internet coverage is disrupted and the amount of fees deducted electronically.