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A comment on Sweden leads the race to become cashless society. Parent comment

Re:Sweden leads the race to become cashless society by bogomipz on Sunday August 14, 2016 @03:51PM (#12287030)
This is a good point that cashless means having a smart phone and a bank account which marginalizes the already marginalized such as the homeless. I realize that Sweden doesn't have that problem but there are many other places that do.

Also anyone that's lived through a hurricane or a blackout tell you cash is king. Having a few days worth stashed is a good addition to any preparedness kit.

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Re:Sweden leads the race to become cashless society by sheraz on Sunday August 14, 2016 @04:10PM (#12287120)
In Sweden there are the Roma/gypsy population who have smartphones but certainly don't have Swedish bank accounts. This is also true for many expats. Including other Scandinavian nationals.

Americans have an especially tough time finding a bank to open an account due to FBAR and FACTA, treaties signed to combat money laundering and such.

The result is that many bank branches choose to not offer accounts due to the added paperwork.

No bank account. No bankid. Often fewer services available to you.

Note: this is a common criticism for foreign nationals starting up a life in Sweden.

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