> “In Sweden, we pay digitally to a large degree and the use of cash is low. The general public being able to pay by card for example for food and medicines even in the event of a serious breakdown in data communication, that is offline, is a milestone in our intensified efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness”, says Governor Erik Thedéen.
I understand that it's very normal to use a CC in Sweden (and many places), but it feels grim to me that the thought towards major telecommunications breakdown is, "oh no, how will we make sure that people can keep credit card companies and banks informed that they need food and medicine if the internet is down?" I feel like "reversion" to the solved problem of offline transactions - cash payments - would be a more reasonable default assumption, and in the case of catastrophic infrastructure breakdown, simple expropriation.
Riksbanken have been pushing for cash payments too. Personally I think its too little too late. The culture in Sweden has already changed to purely digital
Sweden has also done multiple pilots of a digital currency pressed by the state. This might be an interesting alternative to not give up control of our currency and privacy to banks and cc companies. Also supposed to work offline. https://www.riksbank.se/globalassets/media/rapporter/e-krona...
Cash would be a reasonable assumption, but not a practical one unfortunately.
The only place really to get cash in Sweden is at an ATM, of which there are very few these days - most have been removed in the past years, and some might be very far away due to the large distances in Sweden.
It should also be assumed that in the event of a critical infrastructure breakdown, the ATMs would not work either.
I understand that it's very normal to use a CC in Sweden (and many places), but it feels grim to me that the thought towards major telecommunications breakdown is, "oh no, how will we make sure that people can keep credit card companies and banks informed that they need food and medicine if the internet is down?" I feel like "reversion" to the solved problem of offline transactions - cash payments - would be a more reasonable default assumption, and in the case of catastrophic infrastructure breakdown, simple expropriation.