Are you ready for a cashless life? – Pocketful of Dirhams

The Covid-19 pandemic may have accelerated our switch to digital payments, but some believe that cash still plays an important part in our financial lives

While the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work, it has also accelerated our switch to using contactless cards and e-wallets to pay for goods and services.

Millions of people have opted for cashless payments since global lockdowns came into force in March last year amid concerns about the spread of infection through bank notes and coins.

In March, a survey by moneytransfers.com, which used YouGov data to rank 21 countries that are likely to accept a fully cashless economy, found that consumers in India, the UAE and Indonesia were the most likely to choose digital payments.

Meanwhile, another study by Standard Chartered last September found that 64 per cent of respondents expect the UAE to be a fully cashless society by 2030.

Co-hosts Felicity Glover and Alice Haine discuss the future of cash and whether or not it will continue to play an important part in our financial lives post-pandemic.

Listen to last week's episode on where to find the best travel deals for summer 2021: