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Comment by _bernd | Hacker News Reader

In the past I handled cash as an employee and as a volunteer. Like even a quiet night at a bar can sum up to a few thousand EUR.

Yes handling cash is not free. But compared to some charges or fees it's often quiet cheap.

Sure you need to think a head like how much small change money you will need or how much cash for change in general. You also need kind of routine and flow for counting and handling but even if I had to count up to 10k EUR in small bills t does not needed more then half an hour incl putting it into the safe or on the way home putting it into the banking machine... At least in Germany it's not that big of a deal breaker.

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half an our - every day.

I know of a large restaurant chain with some "bigger" branches: They often have to count two or three times with different people to be sure, that the amount is correct. Every evening.

Then you have transport companies which pick up the cach (or refill ATM) - you pay there for every time they stop, and you pay a tiny fraction per bill processed etc. (though, most restaurants do not use these services)

Then you finally have the very high risk of getting robbed.

You just triggered my PTSD. Worked in a gas station in college and changing over the till was a PITA -- I had to account for every cent, could be written up over 50 cents (too much or too little) and it was always this crazy dance to change over when we were busy since it messed with the counts.

Sorry! :-)

I know: It is just hell! There is a gas station near my location, which closes the door from 23.45 to 24.00 for just doing this and handing over to the group.

It's funny. I have lurked or followed the gas station anecdote of yours but from the other side.

After school I've worked at a gas station as well and we did not need to close because the shift swap was the same as over the day.

You exert your cashier(?) and the next one inserts the new. And you count in the office and take the time you need.

Half an hour incl. Some other minor takes was part of the shift. Simple as that.

That time costs money, the safe costs money, having cash attracts criminal elements like robbers or dishonest employees, your employee might get robbed on their way to the banking machine making it a workplace hazard, security guards costs money.

In 2009 Sweden had 58 armored car robberies, in 2018 there were 1. This used to be a big concern in Sweden, now it's basically a nonissue.

There were 1154 store robberies in 2009, in 2018 there were 515. Muggings are also down considerably. 2022 was the first year with zero bank robberies. This is mostly thanks to the much lower use of cash.

https://www.riksbank.se/sv/betalningar--kontanter/sa-betalar...

https://bra.se/download/18.54e1fb8a19c479963d63601e/17731372...

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