Many shops refusing to take cash

Gareth Shaw, head of money at Which?, said: “We are concerned this will leave many vulnerable people unable to pay for the basics they need. “Both the government and retailers need to find a way to ensure that the millions of people who rely on cash, and may not have a bank card, can still pay for essentials during this difficult time.”

On 23 March, shops and banks agreed to raise the limit for contactless payments, currently £30, to £45, but said some locations might not be ready for the higher limit until 1 April. UK Finance, which represents the big banks, said: “Given the pace at which this change is being rolled out, the new limits will take some time to be introduced across all retailers, including some of those facing additional pressure due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Retailers will face growing pressure to lift minimum card spend rules. Some shops require customers to spend more than £5 to use contactless payments, largely because of the fees they are charged by the payment system operators.

Addressing concerns about catching the virus from usingcash, Link said: “Link recommends that people take the same hygiene precautions for contact with surfaces whenever they are using ATMs, spending cash, or making payments - washing your hands as soon as possible and refraining, if possible, from touching the eyes, nose and mouth.”