Dutch supermarkets are hoping to phase out the use of cash by 2014, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Thursday, quoting the retail board CBL.



The aim of the ban on cash is to make supermarkets less vulnerable to armed robberies, the paper says.

According to CBL research, 87% of customers support moves to stimulate the use of direct debit cards.

The Telegraaf reports that €10bn of supermarket total turnover of over €30bn last year was in cash. Supermarkets had to deal with 200 ‘incidents’, ranging from a grab at the cash register to armed robbery, the paper said.

Other solutions will be found for customers who do not want to use direct debit cards, a CBL spokesman said. ‘Technology is making enormous advances. Trials are also being done with payment by mobile phone, but you can also pay with a finger print or iris scan,’ the spokesman said.

The Dutch consumers association said the move was ‘going too far’.