Also from Andy (I hope he doesn’t mind me posting this tidbit from email; I’m assuming he won’t as it was an information resource as opposed to personal content)…

Also totally agree with your assertation that we’re being pushed into a cashless society. I’m currently living in London and there’s posters everywhere advertising the new Barclays One Pulse card, billed as a ‘three-in-one’ card - Credit Card, Oyster. Cashless. (Oyster cards are what all Londoners use to get around on the Tube)… Oh yeah, and the strapline is ‘Welcome to the future’…

From the Barclay website:

Think of your Barclaycard OnePulse as having a built-in Oyster card in addition to your standard credit card and cashless payment, so you can move faster and shop smarter.

Before you use your card for Oyster travel, you need to pre-load your card with either a season ticket (e.g. a Travelcard or Bus Pass) or pay as you go.

To make cashless purchases with OneTouch payment, simply hold your Barclaycard OnePulse card next to the secure reader at participating merchants and your transaction will be complete in a matter of seconds. That’s all it takes.

I’ve noticed that here in Maryland a lot of stores are outfitted with different and perhaps “more modern” credit card machines which accept those things you just wave at the machine to conduct a transaction. I forget what they are called, but I think the machines are made by Verifone, as I recall. I have not seen this in what you would think would be the more technologically advanced City of Seattle.

{See also: Enlightenment Visa}