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Feb 13, 2023Liked by David G.W. Birch

(as background Dave and I are good friends). Cough, Cough.. alternatives abound Dave. The card forcing function in italy was tax evasion.... which is the real "cost" to this merchant who preferred cash (bank of Italy article below). Look at how cards growth has accelerated after SEPA.. alternatives must provide incentives for EVERYONE. Today your cards are integrated into your watch, your phone and most importantly your behavior.

Italy has an A2A QR code scheme today from their postal service https://postepay.poste.it/prodotti/postepay-evolution-eng.html

Cost? 1 EUR per transaction... LOL.. what a deal. BTW, guess who is responsible for managing fraud or returns? The consumer and the consumer's bank. I'll just stick with my card, and if the merchant does not accept it.. I will go to the next one that does. Seriously, what merchant in Italy can avoid taking cards?

https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/bank-italy-warns-risks-easing-curbs-cash-payments-2022-12-05/

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