Cash : Relic or lifeline ?
After yesterday’s blackout across Spain and
Portugal, it has really put a new perspective on our reliance on our cards and
digital payment methods.
Whilst the pandemic encouraged us to move away from
cash payments and increase our spend on physical
cards and digital payments, yesterday’s outage showed us that there is still a
place for cash.
So, with that in mind, we e have some practical tips to help prepare for digital
payment outages to ensure you are not
caught off guard the next time systems go down:
🏦 1. Keep a Small Cash Reserve
- Enough to cover 2–3 days of essentials like
food, transport, and minor emergencies
- Store some securely at home and keep a small
amount in your wallet for day-to-day use
🔋 2. Keep Devices Charged & Carry a Power Bank
- Keep your phone fully charged when possible
and invest in a portable charger
📱 3. Enable Offline Features on Your Payment Apps
- Some apps allow offline payment limits
(like Apple Pay or Google Wallet), which can still process small
transactions when you’re offline
- Check with your bank or wallet provider to see
what’s available
🧾 4. Make a physical note of key information
- Write down or print key account numbers and
support phone lines (for your bank or credit card issuer)
- In a blackout or mobile outage, you may not be
able to access contact info digitally
⏳ 5. Don’t Wait for a Crisis to
Prepare
- The worst time to realise you need cash is after
the ATMs go dark or merchants can’t process cards
- Treat it like insurance: you hope not to need
it, but it’s crucial when you do
Posts
⭐ Dubai Fintech Summit - May 12th-13th - Madinat Jumeirah
⭐ Seamless Middle East Digital - May 20th-21st - Dubai World Trade Centre
⭐ GITEX Europe - May 21st-23rd - Messe Berlin
Which ones will you be attending ?
Dubai FinTech Summit Seamless Middle East GITEX EUROPE
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