From mvc at ncrsecp.copenhagen.NCR.COM  Thu Jul 29 22:42:30 1993
From: mvc at ncrsecp.copenhagen.NCR.COM (Morten V. Christiansen)
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 93 22:42:30 PDT
Subject: Paranoia and the Outlawing of Cash
Message-ID: <2C57B1BD@wk06.Copenhagen.NCR.COM>



Jeremy Smith writes:
>        I too have noticed a growing trend in the use of electronic money
>for a wide range of transactions.  For example. I have an ATM card that
>was issued on my checking account.  With it, I can make purchases at any
>place displaying the Interlink symbol.  This includes gas stations, fast
>food places, and a lot of common stores such as the Good Guys, Circuit
>City, etc.
>        Personally, I find this way of doing business a lot more
>conveinent than carrying cash money.  No large demoninations to worry
>about, and if you are robbed, they have to crack your PIN to use the card.
>If they use a portabel reader, you could be screwed.  But, in most cases
>you would have time to call customer service and cancel the card.
>        I love progress.

In Denmark practically everybody has a 'DAN-card', a card with which all 
purchaces, no matter how small, can be charged directly to one's bank 
account. There is no charge for using or having the card, and it can be used 
practically everywhere. If for some reason you still want cash, there are 
plenty of ATMs around.

This means that the banks and the government know pretty much how much each 
of us spends on everything, but that's ok since we all trust the banks and 
the government  :-( .

When are we going to get real and untracable (!) electronic money ?

               Morten V. Christiansen
               Morten.V.Christiansen at Copenhagen.NCR.COM