Vocabulary

Video

Transcript

Sausage stands are a common sight in Copenhagen. It doesn’t take much to set one up: you need a grill . . . some sausages . . . and of course, a mobile credit card payment device.

These days, only tourists use cash.

Andreas Sigsgaard, Street Food Merchant: “In the end, when we have to count the register, there’s less money to count; it’s a bit easier. Again, less room to make errors; less things to have for me and other guys to have in our heads when we are closing down after a long day.”

Twenty years ago, Danes paid for 80% of their purchases in cash — now it’s less than 25%.

Person One: “Rarely.”
Journalist: “Why?”
Person One: “It’s easy with a card.”

Person Two: “I never have cash actually; it’s almost a problem when people go around collecting money for good reasons; I never have cash to put in a box because we don’t use cash.”

Person Three: “So beggars and their lives get transparent . . . but I don’t care.”

It’s not just Danish consumers who prefer to pay with plastic: retailers are in the forefront of the move to abolish cash.

Drugstore chain Matas, now allows cell-phone payments in all its stores: scan the bar code, confirm the payment — and it’s done.

It’s faster than standing in line for the cash register.

Thomas Grane, Matas Chief Information Officer: “We are interested in getting rid of cash: it’s the handling, the security, and everything around it is very expensive, so definitely we want to push that.

That’s of course also why we introduced the mobile payment to help this process.”

Danish businesses which don’t sell food may soon be getting permission to stop taking cash entirely.

But politicians and central bank officials have not yet fixed a date for that to happen.

Hugo Frey Jensen, Danish National Bank Governor: “We are obliged to supply the amount of cash the population and companies demand, and we do that.

But on the other side, we think it’s also important that we have an efficient, secure payment infrastructure.

This whole process of reducing the cost of payments, I think the whole digitalization that’s very important in a country like Denmark.”

The sausage stand may be the next to accept cell-phone payments: a third of all Danes already use an app that makes that possible.

Even the coffee vendor next door has already decided to accept digital payments . . . after all, there’s barely any room in his tiny truck to store cash.

Questions

 
Coins. In Denmark, is it easy or difficult to set up and run a food stall or snack stand?

Bills, Banknotes. “These days, only tourists use cash.” What does this mean or imply?

Cash. Do the Danes prefer paying with cash or electronically (bank cards and smartphone apps)? Why do they prefer paying by credit card or cell-phone?

Check, Cheque. Businesses prefer dealing with cash. Is this correct or wrong? What are the advantages or benefits of using digital payments?

Debit Card, Bank Card. The government will phase out the use of cash very soon. True or false?

Credit Card, Plastic. Have people in Denmark always paid electronically?

Smartphone Payment, App. Danes trust the system. Yes or no?

e-Payment, e-Transfer. How often do you and your friends use credit cards, debit cards and smart phone payments? Always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely or never? How much do people in your city use credit cards, debit cards or smart phone payments? How has it been changing?

Credit Card Terminal, Payment Terminal. Do people use plastic (cards) for certain purchases and cash for others?

Online Shopping, Online Purchases. Is there a difference in purchasing methods between villages, towns and cities; and different regions of your country?

ATM, Bankomat. Do payment methods differ among age groups, income groups and socio-economic classes?

Account, Balance. Would you and your friends — and people in your country — like to see a cashless society, do you prefer a cash economy or a mixture of both?

Deposit, Withdrawal. Are there any disadvantages of forgoing cash? Are there any drawbacks to having a completely cashless economy?

Online Payment System, Money Transfer. What will happen in the future?