Cash Report 2011 Table of contents

Foreword 2

1 Introduction 4 n Management Summary n Approach and methods

2 The cash domain in the Netherlands 8 n What is money? n Money is trust n How much money is in circulation? n Is the volume of cash in the Netherlands growing? n How often is cash used? n The cash-cycle n Discussion bodies n Laws and regulations

3 Cash and the consumer 20 n The consumer decides n Cash is anonymous n Cash is certainty n Cash is direct n Cash is tangible n Cash is (un)safe n Cash is expensive

4 The stakeholders and their position in the cash-cycle 32 n and companies n Retail establishments n Public sector n Cash sector

5 The future of cash 40 n The cashless society n Scenarios for the future

Appendices 44 Bibliography List of interviewees Organisations* Titles*

Acknowledgements 49 Publication details

* Note: Organisations and titles in the text marked with an * are taken on page 48.

Cash Report 2011 ENv1.1 For centuries, cash has been the most seeking – a new balance in the propor- important means of effecting payment tion of cash and electronic payments. transactions. Not until the 20th century The two main drivers in this process did serious competition arrive in the are efficiency (including in costs) and form of , various electronic sub- safety. Ultimately, however, it is the cus- stitutes and debit and credit cards and, tomer who decides how to pay. since the beginning of this century, with a variety of electronic and other contact- From a social standpoint, the Nether- less means of payment. Accordingly, the lands has much to gain from a pay- relative share of cash used in retail trans- ments system that is robust, efficient, actions has experienced a decline over safe and as inexpensive as possible. The the last decade. Whether and to what key question, as we see it, is this: What extent this trend will continue is virtually shape should such a system take in or- impossible to predict. der to meet the demands of the future? Moreover, are the various stakeholders Various indicators suggest that a wholly – most importantly the major banks, the cashless society is unrealistic. Rather, De Nederlandsche (DNB)*, retail we seem to be moving towards – or establishments, central government and

2 › 3 sector partners – capable of jointly reali- sing such a payments system? ‘Cash is here to stay, which means we also need to have a plan in place The payments system in the Netherlands is a current focus in various discussions for dealing with it.’ platforms, which involve most of the Jos van der Stap, forenamed stakeholders, and in which a National Coordinator on Robbery, Korps Landelijke Politiediensten (KLPD) range of stakeholder interests are at play. The banking world is pushing for a transi- tion from cash to electronic payments, as evidenced in both banks’ day-to-day safer and more efficient. This Cash Report services and the information they put out seeks to provide a unbiased description to the public. Retail establishments are of the positions of all stakeholders in the struggling to strike the difficult balance cash domain. To this end, we have left between safety, costs, competitive position suitable representatives of leading stake- and consumer convenience. The central holders in the cash domain to speak in government, for its part, has diverse stakes their own words, limiting ourselves to in payment transactions, reflecting its diver- elucidating how their views tie together sity of public roles, and therefore cannot as based on our own desk research. claim any single, unambiguous position. Consumer demands play only a very This document seeks to lay a factual limited part in policy formation, despite foundation for a more integral discussion the fact that they, for reasons elucidated in between all stakeholders on the most this Cash Report, are still making full use of desirable scenario – not least from the cash payments and are likely to continue public perspective – for our future cash to do so. transactions.

The simple fact is that as long as there are cash transactions, both the individual consumer and society as a whole are served by ensuring that cash is as safe and efficient a means of payment as possible. Since cash circulates in a chain cycle, such assurance can only exist when Gert Askes all links in the chain are coordinated and Managing Director G4S Cash Solutions willing to continue investing in its main- The Netherlands/Belgium tenance. Banks, retailers, the government and the cash sector must step up their Paul van der Knaap joint efforts to develop a shared vision Director Solutions G4S Cash Solutions and strategy for making the cash-cycle The Netherlands/Belgium 4 › 5 1 Introduction

1.1 Management Summary This document seeks to provide an ‘It is a proven fact that people’s unbiased description of the position of patterns of expenditures depend on each stakeholder in the cash domain and discusses the various interests at play in the form their money takes.’ this domain and how they tie together. Henriette Prast, Professor of Personal Financial Planning Tilburg University Section 2 provides an overview of facts and figures, including how much money is in circulation, the frequency of electronic and cash payments and the average value of transactions. Though there is a clear safe. To conclude this section, we explore rise in the total volume of PIN transac- the question of whether cash currency tions, the volume of cash transactions is costs society more than cashless funds; as not yet showing any real signs of decline. it turns out, a question to which is there This indicates that the total volume of is no simple answer. transactions is continuing to grow in this country. This section also provides a de- Section 4 describes the position of vari- scription of the cash-cycle: cash changes ous cash domain stakeholders as regards hands constantly and has a life cycle that cash and the use of cash. Seeking to starts with production and distribution save costs, the major national banks are and eventually ends with destruction. pursuing a definite policy of discouraging the use of cash and promoting the use of Section 3 addresses the question of why electronic payment methods. And yet this cash continues to be the most common policy is not actually supported by any form of payment despite the success of hard data as it is almost impossible to paying by PIN card. Here we must look ascertain whether a cash payment costs to several unique attributes of cash such a bank more, as much or less than an as the fact that it is anonymous, tangible electronic payment. For retailers, cash is and allows ‘direct settlement’. The use both a blessing and a curse. Where major of cash also offers a number of definite retailers would prefer, for safety reasons, advantages from the consumer perspec- to do away with cash in their shops tive, including the possibility of budgeting altogether, small and medium-sized enter- expenditures. A common misconception prises (SMEs) tend to opt for cash or a is that the use of cash is perceived as un- combination of cashless and cash funds – either because they fear falling foul of Last but not least, Section 5 deals with customers, losing revenue or, occasio- the future of cash, premised on the nally, because cash payments are simply idea that it is unlikely that cash will ever convenient. And whilst other retail esta- entirely disappear. There are simply too blishments are not against cash in theory, many advantages to using cash, and too individual views differ widely. This section many drawbacks to relying – exclusively also discusses the position of the central or in part – on electronic payments. government, for which cash represents We may well ask whether the decline in an irreplaceable source of revenue. At cash transactions should even be seen the same time, it is in the government’s as a favourable development. In point of interest that as many payments as pos- fact, no payments system in the world – sible are made electronically. After all, including a funds transfer system – can electronic cash flows are more control- be sustained without backup. In the case lable and therefore simplify processes of transfer transactions, that backup is like taxation, combating black money cash. Not only can the critical systems and tracking down criminal monies. The that support cashless transactions be section concludes with a discussion of affected by major or minor malfunc- the position of the cash sector, which is tions but the security of data or other striving to build the safest and most cost- components can also be at stake. In efficient possible cash-cycle. The sector is such circumstances, cash will prove expected to undergo rapid development invaluable. Equally true, however, is that in the period to come, with existing ser- cash comes with certain drawbacks vice providers placing an increasing focus that need to be minimised in order to on chain management and evolving into keep the costs for society and for each total solutions providers. Before that can individual stakeholder as low as possible happen, however, a number of legislative, and to guarantee the safety of cash regulatory and other obstacles will first users. Since cash circulates in a chain cycle, need to be removed. such assurance can only exist when all links in the chain are coordinated and willing to continue investing in its main- tenance. The Cash Report 2011 ends by ‘Business owners are keen to deal with advocating an approach of envisioning cash in a way that’s safe and cost-efficient.’ possible scenarios and of cooperation between all parties involved in the cash- Els Prins, Secretary for Copyright, Payments and Criminality, MKB Nederland cycle in order to shape a shared vision of the future of cash in the Netherlands and keyed to realising the safest and most efficient cash domain.

6 › 7 1.2 Approach and methods The Cash Report 2011 seeks to paint as objectively as possible a picture of ‘An efficient payments system is the cash domain in the Netherlands. contingent on good organisation and We consider how it has evolved over the right scale. And the right scale is the years and place the Netherlands in the product of good cooperation.’ the European context. We have drawn Piet Mallekoote, on a diverse range of written sources Managing Director Currence compiled by myriad parties with a stake in the payments system. Citations from these sources are noted in the text and an overview of the publications used is were approved by the interviewees. provided in the appendix. If discussions between cash domain stakeholders are to be constructive, We further conducted an extensive it is important that we have common series of interviews with specialists and recourse to clear sources, supported professionals from organisations and en- along the way by a consistent approach terprises with a direct or indirect stake in and methods. To facilitate this process, the cash-cycle in the Netherlands. These we intend to repeat this study at regular interviews focused primarily on the spe- intervals in the future. cific interests of individual organisations in our cash domain and their views on safety, costs and future trends.

Interviewees were selected to offer a representative sample of the various roles and interests tied up in the Dutch cash-cycle, presented in their own words so as to provide as true and objective as possible a reflection of the cash domain as a whole. The names of all intervie- wees are provided in the appendix. The transcripts of these discussions are confidential and cannot be released; however, the present document does include information paraphrased from the transcripts. Quotes have been taken directly from these interviews and 8 › 9 2 The cash domain in the Netherlands

2.1 What is money? establishments and commercial banks In its entry for ‘money’, Wikipedia pro- signed an agreement to round payments vides the following definition: ‘Money is off to the nearest EUR 0.05. As a result, any object or record that is generally coins in the denominations of EUR accepted as payment for goods and ser- 0.02 and EUR 0.01, though still qualify- vices and repayment of debts in a given ing as legal tender, have all but stopped country or socio-economic context’. circulating. The main functions of money cited are: In the Netherlands, De Nederlandsche a medium of exchange, a unit of account, Bank (DNB)* holds the exclusive right to a store of value and, infrequently, a issue euro banknotes, in accordance with standard of deferred payment. the Bank Act 19983.

There is an essential distinction to be 2.2 Money is trust! made between cash and cashless funds. Since leaving the Gold Standard in 1936, In the Cash Report 2011, cash refers to the Dutch payments system has been currency; that is, banknotes and coins. based on fiat money. Fiat money has no Accordingly, the cash domain encom- intrinsic practical value as a physical com- passes all areas in which cash changes modity. Banknotes are in truth little more hands within the national boundaries of than sophisticated pieces of paper to be the Netherlands. The present document used as debt instruments, indebting DNB considers the cash domain in the con- to pay the holder the nominal value of the text of the Dutch payments system as note. Banknotes, and to a lesser degree a whole, thus including cashless transfer also coins, have a lower intrinsic value than transactions. If we narrow our focus to their nominal value. cash transactions, then banknotes and Money has value purely because the coins are the media used to make cash government has designated that money payments. Both media are forms of ‘legal as legal tender, and the reason money is tender’. In circulation at present are generally accepted as a means of payment banknotes in seven different denomina- tions1 and coins in eight denominations2. In 2004, the Dutch collective of retail 3 Pursuant to Section 105a of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the European (ECB) holds the exclusive right to authorise the issue of 1 eUR 500, EUR 200, EUR 100, EUR 50, EUR 20, EUR banknotes. Responsibility for minting coins was transferred 10 and EUR 5. to the Royal Dutch Mint* by the Dutch State/Ministry 2 eUR 2, EUR 1, EUR 0.50, EUR 0.20, EUR 0.10, EUR of Finance in 1948, and is conducted under the latter’s 0.05, EUR 0.02 and EUR 0.01. supervision. for goods and services is rooted in trust tion in the Netherlands totalled approxi- (or faith) in the government that creates mately EUR 10,000 billion. The balance it. Cashless money is intangible and exists of cashless money is in fact much higher only in the form of bank reports; how- (by around a factor of ten) than the total ever, since cashless money is a generally value of cash in this country. At the end of accepted means of payment it, too, can 2010, the value of all banknotes in circula- be used to perform the basic functions tion totalled EUR 816.8 billion5. of money. Should that trust in money, in The total value of coins has been whatever form, be eroded, consumers will hovering around EUR 20 billion for some look to an alternative that can be trusted. years now, making these just a small fraction of the total volume of cash in 2.3 How much money is in circulation? circulation, even though in terms of pure At the close of 2010, the value of all numbers the quantity of coins is large. The money, both cash and cashless4, in circula- total volume of banknotes in circulation in Europe at the end of 2010 was around 4 Where the value of cashless funds is defined as the 13.6 billion notes (see fig. 1) – the majori- combined balance of the accounts, i.e. of current and savings accounts. Source: ECB Statistics 2010. ty within the eurozone and a portion out- side it. According to DNB estimates, there

Figure 1 Total value of banknotes in circulation are roughly 300-400 million euro notes in Europe at the end of 2010 in the Netherlands. Most of the notes in circulation are EUR 50 notes (39%), followed by notes of EUR 20 (19%) and 10 5 20 EUR 10 (14%).

The number of new notes issued annually by DNB depends on the growth in circu- 500 lation, the number of notes destroyed and the in- and outflow of notes across the border. Depending on the denomination, the average life of a euro banknote does 50 not exceed a few years.

2.4 Is the volume of cash money in the Netherlands growing? 200 ECB statistics on the growth in circulation show that the total amount of cash in use

100 within the eurozone has seen an effective

SOURCE: ECB Statistics 2010 5 eCB Statistics 11/2010.

10 › 11 6 annual average rise of 11% since the euro Figure 2 Number of ATM transactions and was introduced in 2002. value of ATM transactions over the period 2000-2010 To get an idea of the growth rate in the Netherlands alone, the use of ATMs 500 provide a good point of reference. 480 Figure 2 shows a reasonably consistent trend over the past ten years, with the 460 public drawing cash funds averaging EUR 50 billion annually from 2002 (the year 440 the euro was introduced) onwards. More 420 recently, the number of ATM withdrawals Aantal ATM-transacties (x miljoen) 400 actually shows a declining trend, indica- 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 ting that, on average, larger sums are being withdrawn per ATM transaction than was previously the case. 60

2.5 How often is cash used? 50 Thanks in part to these ATM withdrawals, the amount of cash (gross) circulating in 40 the Netherlands is therefore increasing by approximately EUR 50 billion each 30 year. However, the question is how much Waarde ATM-transacties (x miljard euro) 20 that total is simultaneously decreasing 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 as a result of the use of cash to make payments. As with reckoning how many banknotes are circulating in the Nether- Source: Maatschappelijk Overleg Betalingsverkeer lands, any attempt to establish the total (MOB)* ‘bereikbaarheidsmonitor 2010’* number of cash transactions can only ever yield a rough estimate. Whereas the that may or may not be supported by number of electronic transactions is pre- specific research findings. cisely registered (usually automatically), there is no analogous registration of the The most recent estimate of the number volume of cash payments. Accordingly, of cash transactions in the Netherlands, information about the volume of cash as based on research conducted by payments is necessarily based on partial DNB7 itself, posits a yearly total of 7.6 observations (such as made by the col- billion payment transactions, of which lective retail establishments, hereinafter: 5.5 billion (or 72%) are cash transac- ‘RE’) and supplemented with assumptions tions. Of that total of cash transactions,

6 eCB en World Payments Report 2011. 7 DNB: ‘Contant geld geteld’*, published 2009. Figure 3 Number of payment transactions average consumer in Europe making 598 payments in 2008, of which 463 were in cash (78%) and 135 electronic (22%).

2,1 miljard At 72%, the Netherlands is below the pin-transacties global average of 90% of all payments being made in cash. Compared to figures from less than a decade ago, the number of PIN transactions has risen substan- tially. According to the DNB 2005 March 5,5 miljard quarterly report, Dutch consumers made cash transacties approximately 7 billion payments in coins and notes in 2002, compared to 1.2 billion by bank card11. The increase in the volume of PIN payments at REs has been driven by a number of objectives and initiatives delineated by Currence and the banking sector, targeting 2.75 billion transactions total in 201412. In fixing this target, Currence has assumed Source: DNB the share of cash payments to retailers in 2010 to be approximately 2.85 billion. 4.9 billion are payments by consumers to Based on DNB figures for 2009, cash businesses (C2B) and 600 million by one payments to retailers therefore account consumer to another (C2C)8. Accord- for only half (51.8%) of the total ing to the most recent figures published estimated number of cash payments in by Currence9, approximately 2.1 billion the Netherlands (i.e. 5.5 billion). Clearly, PIN payments were made at Dutch REs then, there is no question of the volume in 2010, representing 28% of the total of PIN transactions overtaking cash volume of payment transactions. transactions in this country. This percentage matches DNB figures for 2009 and largely conforms to findings In 2009, the average value of a cash from previous studies conducted at transaction was EUR 13.15, representing the European level10, showing the a decrease of EUR 0.45 (-/-3%) relative

8 The analyses in the Cash Report 2011 are based on figures from this study. 9 Currence is a Dutch organisation established by sev- eral leading Dutch commercial banks with the objective of 11 Quarterly report ‘Naar een cashless society’, DNB, ‘facilitating market forces and transparency while preserv- p. 68. ing the quality and safety of the Dutch payments system’. 12 Currence press release of 14 January 2011: Opnieuw 10 Future of Cash and Payments, Research, PIN records in 2010; ‘Trend: komende jaren meer pinnen 2010. dan contant’.

12 › 13 13 to 2008 . The average value of a PIN Figure 4 Distribution of retail payments transaction was EUR 38.30 in 2009, being by value and means of payment a EUR 3.90 (-/-3,9%) decrease compared to 2008. In other words, there is a clear 70 trend of decreasing PIN transaction 60 values, at a rate faster than the decrease

in cash transaction values. This trend is 50 being carried by various public promo- tional campaigns, such as that to stimu- 40 late PIN card use for small transactions (‘Klein bedrag, PINnen mag’). In addition, 30

the Dutch retail trade association De- 20 tailhandel Nederland recently reached agreement with banks on PIN card use 10 for small amounts, with business owners 0 receiving substantial discounts when they <10 EUR 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-100 >100 Euro

13 A relatively high number of cash payments are made Contant Pinpas Overig in the hospitality, specialty foods and recreation sectors. In the Netherlands, small payments can also be settled by Chipknip card, used mostly at vending machines and in office canteens. Source: DNB/Currence, 2007

Figure 5 Average value of transactions using a PIN card versus cash over the period 2006-2010

50 15

46 14

42 13

38 12

34 11 Gegevens 2010 nog niet beschikbaar 30 10 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Gemiddeld transactiebedrag bij pinnen Gemiddeld transactiebedrag bij cash

source: DNB/Currence Figure 6 Cash-cycle

CASH CIT CENTER CIT CIT CIT

BANK BANK KANTOOR KANTOOR ATM

RETAIL Consumentenbesteding

At the end of 2010, the Dutch cash domain comprised ■■ 18 Cash Centres (cash-counting centres) ■■ 2,250 night safes / deposit machines and approximately: ■■ 250,000 retail establishments ■■ 2,900 bank offices, of which around ■■ 340,000 POS terminals 1,600 with automated teller services ■■ 4 secure transport agents (CIT: Cash in ■■ 8,040 ATMs, of which 1,200 ‘lobby Transit, with G4S Cash Solutions and machines’ (indoors) Brinks leading the sector) ■■ 1,100 coin machines

Source: G4S Cash Solutions

replace cash with PIN transactions14. at REs – the estimated volume of cash Viewed together, these various develop- transactions is not showing any real signs ments paint a rather sketchy picture. of decline. This indicates that the total Though there is a clear rise in the total volume of payment transactions is volume of PIN transactions – coming continuing to grow in this country. The partly at the expense of cash payments obvious question is why cash continues to be by far the most common form of 14 ‘Akkoord banken over pinnen van laagwaardige payment despite the success of paying by betalingen’*, 12 January 2011 and ‘Pinnen gaat het winnen van contant’* by Currence Managing Director PIN card. This question will be considered Piet Mallekoote, at publication of 2009 annual figures. in greater depth in Section 3.

14 › 15 2.6 The cash-cycle their bank or hand them over to their Cash changes hands constantly and has secure transport agent. The notes are a lifecycle that starts with production then counted at the cash-counting centre and distribution and eventually ends with of the secure transport agent or com- destruction. In the Netherlands, DNB mercial bank and thereafter returned to issues banknotes through the de facto circulation or deposited at DNB16. Figure sale of these notes to commercial banks15. 6 presents a graphic representation of the Most notes come into public circulation cash-cycle. via cash-dispensing machines (ATMs) and retail counters. European studies have further failed to find any demonstrable link between the Consumers in their turn lay out currency volume of money in circulation and/or at shops and other retail establishments. the volume withdrawn from ATMs and Shop owners deposit incoming notes at the actual use of that money for retail

15 Commercial banks order these notes from DNB 16 This is no longer possible under CDO3. Only notes based on public demand. that are ‘unfit’ can still be deposited at DNB.

Figure 7 Dutch ATM distribution Park 2010 Figure 8 Number of ATM’s period 2000-2010

Hanco Van Lanschot Bank 9000 SNS Friesland Bank

8400 GWK Travelex

7800

ABN AMRO Rabobank

7200

6600

6000 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 ING

source: G4S Cash Solutions source: MOB bereikbaarheidsmonitor*/G4S Cash Solutions Figure 9 ATM locations in the Netherlands in 2010

Source: MOB, ‘bereikbaarheidsonderzoek 2010’ *

purchases by consumers17. This suggests The Netherlands’ network of automatic that this withdrawn cash is being set tellers is largely comprised of aside, spent on non-retail transactions traditional cash-dispensing machines and/or spent outside the Netherlands. (ATMs). However, recent years have seen the addition of other types of ma- 17 Retail Banking Research 2010. chines designed for recycling purposes

16 › 17 (depositing and dispensing) or to replace the traditional teller services at bank offices (automated teller service, or ATS). The density of ATM points in the Netherlands is fairly high, resulting in an overall good accessibility of cash. Almost everyone in the Netherlands (97%) has a cash facility within a three- kilometre radius of their home (see fig. 9). Ninety-eight per cent of cash withdrawals are made at ATMs, and the remaining 2% mainly at bank tellers or over the counter (OTC) at REs.

2.7 Discussion forums The discussion on the Dutch payments system is conducted in various discus- sion forums and groups of diverse makeup. One important body is the Maatschappelijk Overleg Betalingsver- keer (MOB)*, established in 2002 and chaired by DNB, with representatives from providers (banks), users (consumers and businesses) and public bodies. Aimed at promoting the efficient structuring of financial transactions in the Dutch retail sector, their efforts have centred on exchanging information about practical sticking points, political issues and building support for the petrol station sector have pooled the implementation of policies designed their efforts in the area of payment to enhance efficiency18. Under the retail transactions in order to realise a safe, trade association of the Gezamenlijke reliable, efficient and inexpensive retail Toonbankinstellingen, the national sec- payments system in the Netherlands. tor-based organisations of Detailhandel At European level, the cash sector is repre- Nederland (retail trade) and Koninklijke sented by the European Security Transport Horeca Nederland* (hospitality) and Association, or ESTA. ESTA works to advance the interests of its members,

18 eCB Bluebook 2007; who include providers of secure logistics, http://www.dnb.nl/betalingsverkeer/mob cash handling services or equipment. 2.8 Laws and regulations and provider of payment services. The Dutch payments system is subject to Section 2 further prescribes that DNB a body of laws and regulations. The most act in accordance with the principle of an important laws and supplementary open market economy with free compe- regulations are summarised below. tition, keyed to a purposive allocation of resources. Bank Act 1998 The current Bank Act (Bankwet 1998) Section 3 includes provisions for the has been in force since 26 March 1998. management of currency circulation (in The Act mandates DNB with responsibil- respect of banknotes) and maintenance ity for regulating payment transactions, of a robust payments system. Section with a twofold role of both supervisor 4 includes provisions charging DNB to

18 › 19 regulate financial institutions and main- within the EU. Where cash is concerned, tain a robust payments system. Section 6 however, there are still considerable differ- provides that DNB is authorised to issue ences from one country to another, with banknotes. efforts to optimise the cash-cycle concen- trated at national level. The EC has issued Coinage Act 2002 calls and suggestions for working within The current Coinage Act (Muntwet 2002) SEPA to improve coordination of the has been in force since 29 November 2001 pan-European cash infrastructure under and was prompted by the introduction of the umbrella of a Single Euro Cash Area the physical euro. This Act includes provi- (SECA). Its proposal contains provisions sions granting the Dutch government sole for the coordination of the cash domain rights for ordering the minting of and for within the eurozone. Alongside the laws the issue of euro coins in the Netherlands, and regulations that apply to payment as well as describing which criteria euro transactions in general is specific legisla- coins must meet in order to qualify as tion pertaining to the cash sector. One legal tender. In supplement to the Bank proposal currently on the table seeks the and Coinage Acts, the New Civil Code regulation of professional cross-border determines that non-cash payment road carriage of euro cash between instruments are legal equivalent of cash. eurozone states19.

PSD, SEPA and SECA With its many – mainly national – systems and products, the European payments market is still highly fragmented. The establishment of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) made a major step towards the creation of a more integrated European payments market. Specifically, SEPA seeks to create a single ‘payments area’ in Europe, enabling euro transactions and bank cards to be used in the same way throughout the area, regardless of whether the payment is national or cross-border. The Payment Services Directive (PSD), put forward by the European Commission and more or less embedded in the national laws of the European Union Member States since

1 November 2009, provides the legal 19 eCB Bluebook 2007; framework for all electronic payments http://www.dnb.nl/betalingsverkeer/mob 20 › 21 3 Cash and the consumer

In modern economies, the lion’s share of economic activity consists of trans- actions between buyers and vendors ‘The leading motto in business is always effected through payment. These payment “Cash is King”. In times of crisis, however, transactions cost money. The physical that’s equally true for the public at large.’ requirements of money – including the Arie Piet, production, storage and distribution CEO Joh. Enschedé of banknotes and coins – are labour- intensive and generate costs. Electronic payments lack a physical component, but come with a different set of costs, such are usually no charges for withdrawing as for elaborate data communication and cash in the Netherlands, nor do consum- IT networks and requisite peripherals. ers pay their bank for each transaction made using their . This makes The need to dispose over inexpensive it unlikely that any consumer would be and efficient means of making payments led in his choice of payment method by is rooted in two factors. Firstly, low trans- the real transaction cost of one method action costs stimulate trade in goods and versus another20. It should be noted that services. Efficient means of payment can this situation is characteristic of the therefore grease the wheels of the econ- Netherlands, as well as deeply rooted in omy. Secondly, the provision of payment the country’s culture. The average Dutch services is an economic activity in and of person is neither accustomed nor willing itself and requires the use of monetary to pay for paying. Not surprisingly, the resources. When payment methods are freedom that banks have to take steps efficient, the benefit to the public is both such as taxing the use of ATMs lacks immediate and substantial. any degree of public support – not least because charging for cash withdrawals In most sectors, product prices are cal- would lead to an increase in the amount culated on the basis of production costs; of money withdrawn per transaction and, in the market for payment services and in turn, an adverse impact on security. financial transactions, however, consum- ers are rarely called on to pay the costs of a given transaction. Though there are

costs associated with holding a current 20 From: Card and cash payments – the social perspec- account and having a bank card, there tive in Sweden, Bergman, Guibourg, Segendorf, 2008. opt for cash. This is tied to several unique ‘I think we’ll continue to attributes of cash. see travellers avoid using their PIN cards 3.2 Cash is anonymous for a long time to come.’ Electronic payment transactions leave Marina de Jongh, digital trails. Such trails facilitate the veri- Manager Competence Center Ticketing, fication of data and are therefore use- NS Reizigers ful for the purposes of taxation, tracing activities within the informal economy and tracing criminal monies. The fact that 3.1 The consumer decides cash is not traceable means it will never In spite of the fact that payments are of lose its appeal. paramount importance in all economic activities and it is the consumer who The value of the informal economy in decides the means of payment, rela- Europe is estimated at EUR 2.1 trillion, tively little thought has been given to ranging from 8% of the GNP22 in coun- the behaviour and considerations of that tries such as Switzerland and Austria to very consumer. Given that consumers more than 30% in certain Central and receive little explicit direction from either Eastern Europe countries. At more than banks or vendors, it is to be expected EUR 60 billion23, the informal economy in that they base their decision chiefly on the Netherlands represents an estimated considerations of a non-financial nature. 10% of the GNP. European studies have According to DNB, the following factors found a one-to-one correspondence contribute to the choice of payment in- between the scale of an informal economy strument: geographic location21, age, level and the amount of cash in that country. of education, income, social background This correlation would make it fairly and employment status. Additionally, that unrealistic to assume that an informal choice is influenced by the transaction economy on the Dutch scale could be value, perceived safety of the location fully digitised within just a few years. and type of purchase. As already noted, in most instances consumers continue to The scale of informal economies varies from sector to sector. The retail & whole- sale, transport & communication and 21 Figures published by Maestro show that residents of the Netherlands use PIN cards for in-country payments hotels & restaurant sectors are at the more than residents of any other European country, higher end and represent a combined excepting Sweden (a tie). As soon as they cross the border, however, they immediately revert to cash: no less than 83% of Dutch wintertime holidaymakers take cash with them to the slopes, while only 51% take their PIN card. Maestro transaction figures from December 2010 22 GNP: Gross National Product. and January 2011 show that nearly half of all Dutch PIN 23 Friedrich Schneider, Johannes Kepler University Linz, in transactions in Austria were ATM cash withdrawals. ‘The Shadow Economy in Europe, 2010’.

22 › 23 25%24. Incidentally, in the formal economy, back. The impossibility of or technical too, the anonymity of cash is perceived impediments to reimbursing PIN pay- as a benefit by many consumers. This ments has been one of the arguments suggests that many people consider full for retailers to continue keeping cash in transparency of their payment behaviour their shops. to be an important privacy issue. 3.5 Cash is tangible 3.3 Cash is certainty Cash is more than a convenient means Not only is cash anonymous, it is also of payment: for many consumers, the easy to set aside and impervious to experience of touching and looking at system malfunctions and power failures. cash has an emotional and even aesthetic DNB classifies the different denomina- component (see fig. 10). In the eyes of tions of euro banknotes according to many, the introduction of the euro to the manner of their use by the public. replace the guilder represented a back- Banknotes in the denominations of EUR wards step for the country. Over the 500, EUR 100 and, to a lesser extent, years, however, there has been growing EUR 50, have been shown to be com- aesthetic appreciation for euro notes monly set aside as savings. In times of (with the exception of the EUR 5 note). uncertainty regarding the stability of the financial system (witness the demise of

IceSave and DSB and Fortis bank runs), Figure 10 Aesthetic appreciation for euro banknotes cash savings have become the preferred ‘secure backup’ among a growing group of consumers. 80

70 3.4. Cash is direct One of the major advantages of paying 60 in cash is that there is no need to rely 50 on third parties. In C2C transactions, cash payment results in direct settlement. 40 Cash is accepted virtually everywhere 30 and offers a fast and easy way to pay at the POS25 in nearly every situation, from 20 the fruit stall at the market to second- 10 hand Web shops. Moreover, cash payments are easy to reverse: Not satisfied? Money 0 EUR 5 EUR 10 EUR 20 EUR 50 EUR 100 EUR 200 EUR 500

24 Friedrich Schneider, Johannes Kepler University Linz, in 2002 2003 2005 2007 ‘The Shadow Economy in Europe, 2010’. 25 POS: Point of Sale source: DNB 2007 quarterly report An attribute of more elementary Institute for Family Finance Information). importance is that cash makes it easier to budget and, for a large group of consum- Tilburg University Professor of Personal ers, supports a responsible attitude to Financial Planning Henriette Prast notes money. For people who have difficulty in this connection that payment technology managing an electronic budget, cash effec- should be regarded as ‘non-neutral’ and tively gets the message across that ‘gone that the method of payment (optional or is gone’. That this group is larger than imposed) has a major impact on consu- once thought is attested by the sizeable mer perceptions and spending behaviour. investments that the central government The large share of the population that is now making in educating consumers has ended up in financial difficulty due about these aspects (such as through to ‘digital financial illiteracy’ is a source of CentiQ) and the expansion of initiatives concern for bodies from the NIBUD on at organisations like the NIBUD (National up to the Ministry of Finance.

24 › 25 An survey conducted by the NIBUD at the Gemeentelijke Kredietbank ‘Safety is an essential precondition for Den Haag* has revealed that a grow- ing number of people no longer have any payments system and certainly a major an understanding of their own financial issue for the retail trade.’ situation. They are unable to grasp the Willem de Vocht, consequences of their own expenditures Payments Systems Secretary, because they do not know how much is Detailhandel Nederland coming in and going out. Those expendi- tures typically include a combination of automatic deductions and credit card and According to the report ‘De veiligheid PIN card payments. van toonbankbetaalmiddelen – een onderzoek naar de beleving en het Cash, in short, is a ‘safe haven’ for many – gedrag van de Nederlandse consument’*, often economically weaker – segments of carried out on behalf of DNB in June the population, laying down the founda- 2009, Dutch consumers are largely tion for how they function economically positive about the safety of the Dutch and socially. This was also the conclusion payments system as a whole. Neither of a previous study by DNB titled ‘Hoe frequent media reports about robberies consumenten betaalmiddelen beleven: nor the rising number of cases of fraud een publieksmeting’*26. through ‘skimming’27 or other means have made any real dent in the general sense 3.6 Cash is (un)safe of safety. At the same time, the individual’s Naturally there are also certain drawbacks perception of safety appears to be when consumers use cash. In terms of strongly determined by the perceived relative weight alone, cash is patently less likelihood of being the victim in an incident, practical to carry in larger amounts. A as well as by the perceived severity of particular concern, however, is safety. The its consequences. Other major factors counterfeiting of banknotes, though more are a person’s individual characteristics, difficult now than in the past, is still a residential environment and previous problem. Moreover, cash is relatively easy experiences. The report’s author further- to estrange (pickpockets on the street, more makes a case for coordinating all robbers at ATMs, burglary at home). information issued by parties involved in Added up, these things could make con- payment transactions in order to raise sumers feel that using cash is less safe than consumer awareness about steps they making card payments or online electronic themselves can take to minimise risks payments. However, recent surveys show the situation is not quite so cut and dry. 27 The theft of bank card information by e.g. copying the card’s magnetic strip and transcribing the security code (PIN). Methods include the manipulation of ATMs or in- 26 DNB, Quarterly report, March 2005. store POS terminals. in their monetary transactions (without extremely low, and even on a decline28. simultaneously engendering a sense of As a means of counteracting this sense of insecurity). insecurity among consumers, the period between 2006 and 2010 saw a total of A further noteworthy finding to arise around 1,200 mainly on-premise machines from this study is the fact that consumers at bank offices replaced by lobby regard receiving cash in hand (such as machines, so called because they are at an ATM) and carrying it with them as placed in the lobbies of shops, super- relatively unsafe, but its use as exceed- markets, hospitals etc. (see fig. 11). ingly safe. The former is probably attributable to the perception that ATMs In the case of shop owners, the risk of make an attractive target for robbers. being burgled only disappears once cash in all forms is removed from the premises Yet looking at the total number of rob- (obviously the stock is still at risk). The beries perpetrated in the Netherlands, physical (and perceived) safety of shop the proportion occurring at ATMs is staff and any customers is therefore inversely proportionate to the amount of cash present in the shop, particularly as robberies targeting shop owners tend to centre solely on cash. Clearly, the only Figure 11 Locations of ATMs over the period 2006-2010 way to wholly expunge the risk of rob- beries targeting cash is a 0% cash policy; merely keeping less cash is not enough. 10000 Fig. 12 below presents the total number 8000 of robberies in the Netherlands by year. Following an increase in 2009 (possibly owing to the financial crisis), this total 6000 went down by more than 11% in 2010. The most noticeable decrease was at 4000 financial institutions (-/-41.7%), followed by hospitality (-/-21.8%).

2000 On the whole, the highest number of robberies were perpetrated in the 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 retail trade sector, with petrol stations and supermarkets topping the list, but Banklocatie Winkellocatie

28 Robberies in the Netherlands 2009, Source: G4S Cash Solutions and bank websites www.hetCCV.nl 2010.

26 › 27 owners who are duped by a fraudulent Figure 12 Number of robberies in the Netherlands by sector over the period 2008-2010 card payment or other form of fraudu- lent funds transfer are equally the victims 2008 2009 2010 of an unsafe situation. Viewed in this light, financial institutions 44 36 21 -41,7% the unsafe nature of cash is a relative hospitality 387 490 383 -21,8% quality determined by the safety offered retail trade 880 991 868 -12,4% homes 662 841 767 -8,8% by electronic means of payment. It would transportation 295 351 375 6,8% seem that because electronic transfers other 127 189 158 -16,4% and how they are performed are so total 2.395 2.898 2.572 -11,2% dependent on consumer trust, the media have failed to give due coverage to the Source: Korps Landelijke Politiediensten ( KLPD) risks entailed.

jewellers as the only segment to show Skimming a rising trend. Equally remarkable is that consumers feel the use of PIN cards and credit cards Transportation is the only sector to alike to be less safe than the use of cash. show an overall rise. This is due to a 9.9% This may be attributable to the growth increase in the number of robberies on of fraud targeting electronic payments. food order deliverers (pizza delivery and In 2009, banks reported damages due the like) and a 14% rise in attacks on to skimming at ATMs totalling EUR 36 private carriage of valuables. Professional million, based on approximately 61,000 secure transport services, by contrast, perpetrations. Bank card fraud tends to show a marked decrease of 31%, to a take place within organised – and inter- total of 29 incidents for the year. national – criminal networks and, until now, banks have always indemnified The question now is whether cash would victims of this type of fraud. The same be considered as great a risk if all retail- does not apply to those who find them- ers were to make optimum use of the selves in possession of counterfeit money. options that various market parties offer to secure the cash-cycle and if the police were able to achieve a more success- ful forensics policy. Germany presents a ‘The Netherlands lacks prime example of how effective this can transparency regarding the costs be, where figures for robberies are con- siderably lower than in the Netherlands. of its payments system.’ Ben Schellekens, A related question is whether the Policy Advisor for Payments Systems and Pensions, Consumentenbond safety – or risk – of cash should even be approached as a standalone issue. Shop Figure 13 Counterfeits

60 40000

50 30000 40

30 20000

20 10000 10

0 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Falsificaten (x1.000) Falsificaten Skimming Schade (x EUR 1.000)

source: DNB and NVB

Counterfeit money Figure 14 Number of counterfeit euro notes The existence of counterfeit money is a in the Netherlands in 2010, by denomination

problem for consumers, businesspeople €5 €10 €20 €50 €100 €200 €500 and banks. It can leave consumers and/ 0 396 8296 27940 2376 592 0 or businesses at an immediate loss, and 0% 1% 21% 71% 6% 1% 0% also generates a lot of unnecessary Source: DNB Statistics 2010 administration. Thankfully, banknotes are well-protected against counterfeit- ing, and the number of counterfeit 54,900 counterfeit euro notes, resulting notes in circulation is low. According in a total drop of no less than 27.9% in to a press release from the European the number of counterfeit notes in the Central Bank, a total of 751,000 coun- Netherlands (see fig. 13). The reported terfeit bills were identified over the past losses due to counterfeiting in 2010 year – a 13% drop compared to the amounted to around EUR 2 million. The year before. Figures from DNB show losses caused by electronic payment that a total of 39,600 counterfeit notes fraud are therefore considerably higher were intercepted and registered in the when compared to counterfeiting Netherlands. By far the most counter- losses, and are also significantly on the feited note is the EUR 50 bill (71%), rise. From this we can conclude that the followed by EUR 20 (21%). Fake EUR focus of criminals is switching from classic 5 and EUR 500 notes are almost never counterfeiting to more sophisticated encountered. The 2009 total reached forms of deception.

28 › 29 3.7 Cash is expensive Over the years, various interested parties have attempted to create an overview of ‘Cash transaction costs are the costs of payment transactions. Given difficult to establish with any consistency the diversity of results, this would appear and are strongly dependent to be a tough nut to crack. There seems on the allocation keys used.’ to be little to no uniformity in the use of Jan Binnekamp, data, methodology, assumptions made, Head of Cash Policy, DNB cost allocation methods etc. What is more, such attempts are (almost without exception) one-off exercises. In short, there is a significant need for an objective, One task of the banks is the processing clear-cut definition and delineation of of cash that has been deposited or with- the costs of payment transactions, and drawn. These transactions generate costs for a longitudinal study that is carried in the form of rent for the premises and out consistently to monitor the level of salaries for staff. These costs are relatively these costs. fixed, regardless of the number of deposits and withdrawals. ATMs also have high It remains a fact that the use of cash fixed costs, but there are also substantial requires an extensive infrastructure variable costs – in particular those for that both entails substantial costs and filling the machines and the processing involves multiple intermediary parties. fees that the banks pay each another. The DNB’s costs consist mainly of the Banks also have costs related to lost production and collection of banknotes interest, administration and cash tran- (e.g. printing and storage costs). Banks sport between branches and storehouses. purchase the notes they need from DNB, and coins are obtained from the Royal However, as mentioned in Section 3, cash Dutch Mint. The storage costs for money payments differ from other payments in include rental of the storage space, that there is no intermediary involved in insurance, security, machines, staff and IT the transaction. The transaction is systems. Logistics and secure transport complete the instant the notes and coins professionals move and distribute the have been handed over. A payment by money; this also generates cost items card, on the other hand, is not complete such as staff, logistics and security. From a once the purchaser has handed the card healthy business perspective, it is there- to the salesperson. Whenever a card is fore completely understandable that inserted into a terminal, information is commercial banks favour electronic sent from the card to the terminal, and payments over cash – at least at first then on to the seller’s bank. This is the glance, for electronic banking systems start of a complex process in which come with costs, too. information and payments are sent in multiple stages and which involves Banking Association and DNB to inves- various intermediary parties. This infor- tigate the costs of payment transactions. mation transfer ultimately culminates in In the year under examination, the banks the transfer of money (or information suffered losses of EUR 2,664 million for about it) from the purchaser’s account the processing of payment transactions to that of the seller. The payment is not and the provision of drawing accounts. final until the banks have processed the Of these losses, cash was responsible information in both accounts29. for EUR 779 million30. The total costs for the setup and maintenance of current Payments by card therefore require electronic payment infrastructure for all infrastructure in the form of terminals banks combined is difficult to ascertain at and systems that are able to send infor- present, given that all banks use different mation about the payment. This kind of cost-allocation indicators and also release infrastructure generates high fixed costs, little to no information about them. and the continual modifications to this However, ING Global Head of Payments infrastructure required by legislation & Cash Management Mark Buitenhek has stated that, although the additional costs of a EUR 100 million increase in electronic payments would be negligible, ‘The costs of the cycle can only a rise of around EUR 500 million would be managed effectively if they are also certainly necessitate additional costs and managed from outside the cycle.’ investments in the infrastructure. Henk van den Broek, (Former) CEO of DetailResult Early conclusions are therefore that it is Chairman of the Payment Transactions Steering difficult at present to establish whether Group, Detailhandel Nederland cash payments ‘on the whole’ are more expensive, the same or cheaper than electronic ones. (e.g. with relation to the SEPA and the The results from the McKinsey study PSD) raise these costs even higher. suggest that banks would benefit from an Because the costs of additional payments increase in card payments over payments are minimal, banks profit enormously by cash. Calculations by the Stichting from as large a volume of transactions as Bevordering Efficiënt Betalen* (SBEB), a possible in order to recoup these costs. joint initiative of the Dutch banks and the Gezamenlijke Toonbankinstellingen, point In 2005, the McKinsey consulting firm in the same direction. According to the carried out study on behalf of the Dutch SBEB, every 1,000 million cash transactions lost in favour of PIN transactions results

29 From: Card and cash payments – the social perspec- tive in Sweden, Bergman, Guibourg, Segendorf, 2008. 30 Betalingsverkeer in Nederland, McKinsey, 2006, p. 4.

30 › 31 in a saving of EUR 100 million for banks electronic payment fraud are very high, and retailers. with conservative estimates in the tens of millions of euros. Even assuming that a movement from cash to electronic payments would be a A Swedish study conducted in 2002 positive one for banks, it does not mean showed that the total variable costs of that society as a whole would benefit cash payments are lower than those of from the development. To determine cards for small amounts (with the turning whether this is the case, we need an point at EUR 7.75 in 2002). There are overview of the costs for society of therefore indications that the use of cash both bank cards and cash – a complex offers definite advantages from the point exercise that has never before been of view of society, as 50% of all payments performed centrally in the Netherlands. are Low Value Payments (up to EUR Here, too, the question arises of which 10). Currently, only 20% of such trans- costs should and should not be allocated actions are made by PIN card, but this to which payments. In addition to the will change soon if the banks have their processing costs for the retail sector, say. For example, a new agreement was security for retail premises and various recently signed with Detailhandel types of card/other terminals, the SBEB Nederland regarding PIN card use for also associates the medical and other small amounts. Offering customised care-related costs for robbery victims packages to businesses is also intended directly with the use of cash. On the to accelerate the process, although it is other hand, the losses for society due to still unclear to what extent. 32 › 33 4 The stakeholders and their position in the cash-cycle

4.1. Banks and credit card companies number of transfers, transports and DNB works to ensure secure and processing steps required, and shortens reliable payment transactions for both the cash distribution cycle32. As a result cashless payments and those made in of the forementioned CDOs, the role notes and coins. DNB also considers of DNB in the cash-cycle has diminished itself responsible for the quality, con- over time, and is expected to diminish tinuity and availability of cash. In principle, further in future by means of a third DNB is responsible for bringing usable CDO (yet to be finalised). DNB has a cash into circulation. The production limited overview of circulation of and circulation of coinage falls under the banknotes in the Netherlands. In order responsibility of the Ministry of Finance; to fulfil its role as central bank and the DNB is responsible for issuing and supervisory authority in the face of this circulating euro banknotes, in conjunction diminishing responsibility, DNB receives with the European Central Bank and the periodic figures from the national cash central banks of the other EU countries. processing centres regarding the volumes Essentially, this task has been charged of counted notes. ATM withdrawal volumes to the banks under the Cash Distribu- are also recorded for use by DNB. tion Agreements* (CDOs)31. The core purpose of both of these agreements is In the Netherlands, the three major for the commercial banks to take on an banks (Rabobank, ING Bank and ABN increasing proportion of DNB’s respon- AMRO Bank) take care of around 90% sibilities, including the recirculation of of cash payment transactions in the banknotes. This means that the banks Netherlands. These same banks (individual increasingly reintroduce the banknotes differences aside) are also still in troubled they receive from their customers into waters as a result of the global financial circulation, instead of depositing them crisis. Cutbacks and a return to core with DNB. In doing so, they check the activities are high on the agenda, notes for authenticity and cleanliness fuelling the course that had already been according to ECB regulations. This set earlier, i.e. thinning out the branch recirculation of banknotes limits the network and reducing operational costs, including those for ‘cash payments’ as a

31 CDO 1 signed in 2005, CDO 2 in 2010. CDO 3 is currently being prepared. 32 DNB, Quarterly report March 2010, p. 22. product. The banks are also increasingly processing cash payments. The latter working in consort to ensure this change. occurs both directly (the costs for Although the commercial banks each depositing cash have risen sharply in have their own considerations when it recent times) and indirectly (the number comes to dealing with cash, most banks of branches accepting cash deposits is believe that cash is expensive, and that it is dropping, deposit requirements are worthwhile to discourage cash payments. becoming stricter, ‘anonymous deposits’ are not facilitated). All of this partly Together with the major retail institu- ignores the fact that businesses usually tions, the banking sector is strongly urging do not decide for themselves whether the transition from cash to electronic they receive payments in cash. payment by such means as increasing the The movement to reduce the use of cash is also meeting with some opposition. ‘A reduction in cash will not come For example, in a publication on payment transactions in the Netherlands, about by charging higher fees but the Consumentenbond* identified a clear by offering better substitutes.’ ‘pressure’ on consumers to pay more Mark Buitenhek, and more efficiently, while payment costs Global Head of Payments & Cash Management, continue to rise annually at a rate higher ING than that of inflation. The Consumenten- bond also sees a threat to the accessibility of banking services for disadvantaged and number of payment terminals, offering other groups in society: families (possibly new services and technologies (such as on welfare) without an Internet con- mobile telephone payments using near- nection, the elderly, and people with field communication and payment by physical or mental disabilities. Temporary fingerprint), as well as provision of and other disruptions to the electronic consumer information33. The banks payment network are also a thorn in the assume that consumers are open to this side of the Consumentenbond. In ad- change, and that they see it as positive. dition to the banks, international credit card companies are also a particularly In general, the approach has swerved significant interest group when it comes from trying to reduce electronic pay- to cash. Major operators such as Visa and ments (using PIN fees) to discouraging MasterCard continually strive to expand cash by passing on the costs for their networks, transaction volumes and turnover. Companies promote the use of their payment products instead of 33 Such as the ‘Klein bedrag? PINnen mag’ campaign, or websites such as www.slimmepinpakketten.nl, payments by cash (among other things). www.slimpinverkeer.nl

34 › 35 Important elements in the dynamic More than costs, however, the big issue between cards and cash are the annual is really security, at least for a large card fees and costs for a credit card proportion of retailers. It therefore makes transaction versus the fees charged for sense to subdivide retailers into several withdrawing cash from an ATM by credit categories, in order to produce a more card. The bilateral interchange fee used in detailed overview of the situation. the Netherlands for transac- tions is expected to rise, as the use of 1. Retail chains, including supermarkets debit cards will attract significantly more As mentioned previously, PIN-only cash Multilateral Interchange Fees (MIFs) as registers are on the rise in Dutch super- a result of the anticipated increase in markets and other retail chains. These international competition between debit/ retailers can therefore be counted among credit card processors34. those pushing for the transition from cash to electronic payments. Here, cost is not 4.2 The retail sector the main motivating factor. Retailers are also working to reduce their payment transaction costs, which arise Given the large number of robberies that both from the use of cash and from take place in the sector per year, security is electronic payment methods. Retailers’ the more important issue. Even at Blokker cash payment costs are generated by the (with 1,500 stores in the Netherlands), staff at the register required to process less cash is more a matter of security the payments, as well as the required than one of costs. CFO of the group back-office capacity for cash admini- Ad van der Horst believes that it is not stration such as counting, sorting coins so much the cost of handling cash that is and notes, depositing money at the bank high, but the concurrent organisation of and ordering change. Retailers also pay multiple payment systems: Chipknip, EFT, fees to banks and professional secure cash, vouchers and so on. transport companies for the transport and depositing of their takings. For Without exception, retail chains make use electronic payments, retailers not only pay of professional providers of cash solutions fees to the bank, but also invest money for the transport and delivery of cash. in terminals and staff. The replacement They generally also have sufficient financial of the magnetic strip by the EMV chip in capacity to invest in technological, organi- the Netherlands means that parties have sational and other security measures, such had to invest in infrastructure once again. as closed cash register systems or only a Similar to payments by cash, staff costs are few registers that accept cash. These PIN- dependent on the time it takes to only registers are rapidly becoming more complete a transaction using a card. prevalent in Dutch supermarkets. However, a trial of a fully cash-free supermarket in 34 ‘Visiedocument betalingsverkeer 2010’, NMA. Almere has been terminated, as it had a demonstrably negative effect on turnover. 2. SMEs, including hospitality It would seem that there is still a substan- The Netherlands has around 220,000 tial group of customers who are unable or retail SMEs and roughly 300,000 terminals. unwilling to pay by PIN card. Electronic payments are perceived by many smaller retailers as relatively expensive (on According to the Dutch Food Retail average 4 to 6 euro cents per transaction, Association, this group still represents subject to possible discounts/fixed fees), one-third of the total cash flow, and because they do not have a sufficient half the total number of transactions. volume and/or margin to recoup the Following a survey conducted by a large fixed costs. At the same time, not having a group of supermarket owners, Distrifood terminal means an instant loss of income, magazine concluded that the respon- and so most small stores do have a PIN dents still envisage considerable resistance terminal. against fully cashless stores, particularly among the elderly. The fact that refunds Small businesses are usually unable to can only be processed using cash also influence consumers’ payment habits. The plays an important part. Business owners rule is: if customers want to pay cash, they therefore do not expect supermarkets to pay cash. The biggest concern is usually be rid of cash in the near future. keeping the store afloat. According to Els

36 › 37 Prins, Secretary for Copyright, Payment Transactions and Criminality at VNO/ ‘If you really want to stay NCW SME Nederland, there are there- in touch with retailers, fore few small businesses that complain about cash payments. you can’t run away from cash.’ Ad van der Horst, Particularly in large cities, however, secu- CFO of Blokker Holding, Steering Group member Payment transactions for Detailhandel Nederland rity is certainly a major issue for some SME owners, given that they are regularly faced with robberies that have a large personal impact on the owner and/or establishments are already third on the retail employees. Smaller specialist stores list of most popular robbery locations, generally still make little use of profes- after shops and homes. The less cash sional providers of solutions for the there is to be found in other retail estab- transport and delivery of cash (around lishments, the more criminals will target 17% do, however). They count the hospitality – a situation that the HNL money, take it to the bank and deposit it wishes to prevent. themselves. The time they spend doing so is usually not calculated as an ‘expense’, On the other hand, the sector is charac- nor even perceived as such. Incidentally, terised by a large number of Low Value this is only the case if the deposit loca- Payments with a small margin. Electronic tion is close by, and the deposit itself can transactions are therefore hardly be made safely and inexpensively. attractive to hospitality businesses, not least because tips are also much more According to Knowledge & Innovation easily given when paying cash. This manager of HNL Eus Peters, in the Dutch therefore represents a definite dilemma. hospitality sector (around 43,000 busi- nesses, 20,000 of which are affiliated with 3. Other retail establishments Horeca Nederland) there are currently The behaviour of this group of retailers around 25,000 payment terminals in use varies in how they deal with cash. At (although the number is rising rapidly). many points of sale at stations (Servex), This low figure can be attributed to the 80% of the payments are still made in fact that the sector started using terminals cash, with a fast-growing turnover. These at a relatively late stage, and affordable are mostly transactions of up to EUR 10 mobile terminals were not available for (Low Value Payments). Rapid turnover is some time. Hospitality is therefore a of critical importance to these businesses. sector in which cash still has the upper Electronic payments are therefore only hand. HNL encourages electronic encouraged because they require fewer payments among its members for rea- steps than a cash payment (i.e. not for sons of security, not of cost. Hospitality financial or security reasons). However, if the new EMV pass means – possibly 4.3 Public sector considerably – longer transaction times, In general, it can be said that the public the emphasis may shift back to cash sector would benefit from as many payments. The Dutch Railways* is mak- electronic payments as possible. This way, ing significant investments in electronic cash flows are more controllable, which is payments; partly by installing PIN-only useful when deducting tax, combating black ticket machines, and partly through the money, and tracing criminal funds. From this introduction of touch-free payments point of view, cashless transactions contri- (the OV chipcard). bute to a stable financial system, one of the Ministry of Finance’s core responsibilities.

‘As long as there are still customers who say On the other hand, cash constitutes a source of income for the government. This they want to pay cash, it will not disappear.’ phenomenon (referred to as ‘seigniorage’) Eus Peters, arises because the cost of making a euro Knowledge & Innovation Manager banknote and putting it into circulation is Horeca Nederland lower than the nominal/denominational value of the note. In addition, commer- cial banks need to maintain a practically The parking sector is also showing interest-free credit at the central banks automation across the board, both amounting to the number of banknotes on-street (ticket machines) and off-street in circulation35. The returns on invest- (pay machines in parking garages). Lower ment thus obtained also form part of the maintenance costs and reduced annoy- seigniorage. No statements are ever made ance are important motivating factors regarding the actual amount of the seig- here. However, surveys by market niorage, but we can assume that it is con- operator P1 have shown that consum- siderable. By way of comparison: the most ers still like being able to pay using any common Canadian dollar banknote, the payment method they choose. For this 20 dollar bill, generates 95 cents per year reason, experiments are underway using (after all costs) according to the Canadian differentiated rates (e.g. cash payments central bank. In euro countries, the returns being 20% more expensive). At petrol are from nearly 14 billion euro banknotes stations (a traditional target for robberies), in circulation with a value of around EUR security levels are already at maximum. 800 billion. The total seigniorage is esti- Around 45% of payments are in cash, mated at 0.4% of the combined GNP of with shop articles being mostly paid for the member states, putting it at nearly half using cash. Market leader Shell claims the EU budget of EUR 140 billion36. to focus on loyalty and not on payment methods, and therefore has no policy to 35 Rösl, 2002. actively promote electronic payments. 36 Begg et al., 2008.

38 › 39 As mentioned previously, the government port of notes and coinage, the develop- also fulfils a certain duty of care towards ment and stocking of ATMs, emptying citizens who are not (or only partially) of night safes etc. An entire industry of able to manage their own finances. service providers has arisen around cash, Investments in the CentiQ platform (the which is aimed at running the cycle as Money-Wise Guide), which is aimed at safely and efficiently as possible. These young people but also offers an online parties are realising more and more that household booklet for families, suggest if the cash-cycle as a whole is to oper- that consumer education is another reason ate as efficiently and safely as possible, an why the government does not support integrated form of cycle management is the full or partial abolition of cash. what needs to be achieved. In addition to providing new opportunities, many Because the use of cash is generally technological, organisational and other directly associated with security issues innovations also require a constructive such as robberies and burglaries, the dialogue among operators in the cash- Ministry of Public Safety and Justice can cycle, and among banks and retailers also be considered an important stake- in particular. This kind of dialogue is an holder when it comes to cash – not least important precondition for transforming because the Minister of Public Safety and marginal optimisation in the individual Justice is heavily involved in the general stages in the cycle into full optimisation investigation and prosecution policy of the of the cycle as a whole. Public Prosecution Service, and therefore also in the capacity allocations for tracking Against this backdrop, over the next few down the perpetrators of robberies and years the cash industry is expected to other financial crimes. From a political show rapid development, with current standpoint, the current government seems service providers growing more and to attach more value to repression and more into providers of cycle manage- stricter (i.e. longer) punishment of rob- ment and comprehensive solutions. bers. As mentioned earlier, the situation in Before this can occur, however, many Germany (among other countries) shows barriers need to be removed, including that increasing the likelihood of capturing obstacles in the form of legislation. robbers does indeed make for a more secure cash-cycle. ‘Research has shown that 4.4 Cash sector consumers want to be able to pay using In the cash-cycle, numerous tasks are any payment method.’ outsourced to specialised market opera- tors. This involves the development and Friso Hylkema, construction of special software and General Manager, P1 hardware, the secure and efficient trans- 40 › 41 5 The future of cash

Will cash ultimately disappear completely, abolition of cash would also without or will cash always remain a small (or a doubt improve safety in our society. even respectable) domain? However, by no means the least important prerequisite is that consumers are able to 5.1 The cashless society realise the advantages of cash (discussed Mobile PIN transactions, touch-free in Section 3) using electronic alternatives payments, payment by mobile phone... – a reality that remains doubtful. electronic POSs and opportunities for con- sumers to pay are becoming increasingly After all, a cashless society would have available, and the trend is set to continue no more physical currency, making over the next few years. According to everybody fully dependent on electronic figures from Currence, improvements to payment methods. However, electronic electronic infrastructure in recent years systems are susceptible to disruptions, have made a genuine contribution to a and despite continued improvements, clear and considerable rise in the number data and other security (in the short or of electronic payments made. New elec- long term) could be compromised. In tronic payment options in the retail sector the absence of cash, people may need to both cannibalise the existing methods, as well as reduce the number of cash pay- ments. The latter development means that ‘In a cashless society with the current there are people who believe that a electronic solutions, you couldn’t cashless society is only a matter of time. even send your children to buy bread.’

In 2005, DNB commissioned a study into Miriam Osten, Manager Stichting Bevorderen Efficient a possible future cashless society (and its Betalen (SBEB), Secretaris Task Force Cashloze desirability) – a society without coins or Supermarkten (CBL) banknotes. The results of the study suggest a possible savings of hundreds of millions of euros on national payment transaction resort to solutions such as gold bars, a costs if all banks and retail outlets were to development that would not benefit the join forces to further promote electronic economy. There is therefore not a single payments. Joint initiatives, such as the Pay- system, not even an electronic one, that ment Transactions Covenant*, could lead can do without a backup. In the case of to a further drop in the social costs, which electronic payments this means cash, a may even benefit consumers. Complete fact recently highlighted by the lead-up to and consequences of the financial crisis. new balance will vary from country to This therefore raises the question of country. As described in this report, the whether a major drop in cash payments, Netherlands has seen a clear drop in the with an impact on the robustness and number of cash transactions in a number security of the infrastructure, would even of sectors. However, at the same time be desirable. figures from organisations such as DNB indicate that the quantity of cash in the Although the various cash stakeholders Netherlands has never been so great. differ in their vision of the future of cash Recent research by DNB also shows that, in the Netherlands, they do all agree that contrary to popular belief, a high (posi- it does not seem plausible that cash will tive) correlation has been demonstrated ever disappear completely. The result between Internet and cash usage, and a would therefore be more of a ‘less-cash recent American study has shown that society’ than a ‘cashless society’. it is precisely the younger generation (generation ‘Y’) in the United States who have started paying more with cash (+20%)38. In addition to the influence ‘The most significant barrier to a cashless of social/demographic factors, these society is one that is never discussed: the studies also emphasise that care should black and grey economies.’ be taken when making forecasts using linear extrapolations from trends begun Annemarie Jorritsma, Chairperson of the Association of Netherlands in previous years. Municipalities, Mayor of Almere It will therefore be more important to Dutch society not so much to predict, but rather to imagine what the market 5.2 Scenarios for the future for payments might look like in ten years’ The question therefore pertains more time, and what needs to be done in to the rate at which use of cash will the various scenarios in order to be decrease, and where the new balance prepared. between cash and non-cash will settle. Given the crucial importance of our Given the major differences at present payment system and the role of cash, between individual countries37 in use of it would seem worthwhile to flesh out cash, it is clear that the shift towards a a few scenarios using the technique of scenario analysis. Scenario analysis is 37 For example, relating to the consequences of the financial crisis, the existing stage of development and density of the infrastructure for various payment methods, payment behaviour, the influence of credit card companies 38 Aite Group: ‘The Less-Cash Society: Forecasting cash etc. usage in the United States’, December 2010.

42 › 43 increasingly regarded by companies39 as a valuable instrument in addition to conventional risk management, which is ‘At present, the costs of cash for retail based too much on past experiences and chains are comparable to those of electronic linear risks. For although it is true that payments.’ risks are often perceptible, they are not Henk van den Broek, always taken seriously, as in the American (Former) CEO of DetailResult mortgage crisis40. Chairman of the Payment Transactions Steering Group, Detailhandel Nederland

The future of cash could involve scenarios in which the cash stakeholders need to prepare for a continued linear decline in the use of cash, or even one in which Collaboration within the cycle is there- cash usage drops at a faster rate41 (until fore essential in order to reach a shared a new balance is reached). vision and strategy for making the use of cash as safe and cost-effective as A second condition for successful possible, and in so doing to fulfil the scenario analysis is imagination; it was obvious needs of consumers. due to a lack of imagination that nobody foresaw the consequences for aviation of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. A scenario in which the use of cash stagnates at least at present levels, or even increases, will therefore also need to be considered.

Officially, the Netherlands has no system owner who has final responsibility for safe and efficient payments. However, given that cash rotates within a cycle, scenario analysis can only be effective if there is participation from all links in the chain.

39 Shell was one of the first organisations to adopt scenario analysis. 40 Lecture: ‘Volcanoes, Black Swans and Financial Crises’, cited in Banking Review, September 2010. 41 As stated in Retail Banking Research 2010, ‘moderate’ versus ‘accelerated’ scenarios. Bibliography

1. ‘Future of Cash and Payments’, Retail Banking 14. The Effect of Transaction Pricing on the Adop- Research, 2010. tion of Electronic Payments: A Cross-Country Comparison, DNB Working Paper no. 71, 2005. 2. ‘The Less-Cash Society: Forecasting Cash Usage in the United States’, Aite Group, December 2010. 15. Position paper ‘Contant Geld’ (Paper money), by Gezamenlijke Nederlandse Toonbankinstellingen, 3. ‘The Shadow Economy in Europe’,Friedrich 2009.. Schneider, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 2010. 16. ECB Blue Book; Payment and Securities Settle- 4. . ‘Lessen uit de crisis voor betalings- en settle- ment Systems in the European Union, August 2007. mentsystemen’, (Lessons learned from the crisis for payment and settlement systems), DNB Quarterly 17. Accessibility study 2010: ‘De bereikbaarheid en Report , March 2010. toegankelijkheid van het betalingsverkeer voor con- sumenten en ondernemers’ (The attainability and 5. ‘The safety of cash en debit cards’, DNB acccessibility of payments for consumers and busi- Working paper no 245, april 2010. nesses), commissioned by MOB, December 2010. 6. ‘Contante betalingen geteld’ (Cash payments 18. ‘Betalen in de supermarkt’; Een kwantitatief counted), DNB Quarterly Report, December 2009. onderzoek naar het betaalgedrag van de consu- 7. . ‘Prikkels aan de kassa’ (Excitement at the cash ment (‘Payment in the supermarket’; A quantitative register), DNB Quarterly Report, December 2007. study of consumer payment behaviour), commis- sioned by SBEB, 2010. 8. ‘Naar een cashless society?’ (Towards a cashless society?), DNB: Quarterly Report, March 2006. 19. ‘Betalingsverkeer, Veilig, toegankelijk en betaal- baar’ (Payment transactions, Safe, accessible and 9. ‘Betalen kost geld’ (Payments cost money), DNB affordable), Consumentenbond.nl. Quarterly Report, March 2004. 20. World Payments Report 2006, 2008, 2009, 10. Het toonbankbetalingsverkeer in Nederland; 2010, Cap Gemini & ABN AMRO/RBS en EFMA. ‘Kosten en opbrengsten van het toonbankbetalings- verkeer in kaart gebracht’ (Payment transactions in 21. ‘Naar een robuustere PIN-keten in Nederland’ the Netherlands; ‘Costs and benefits of payment (Towards a more robust EFT network in the transactions – an overview’) commissioned by Netherlands), McKinsey, October 2009, DNB and Gezamenlijke Toonbankinstellingen, 2007. commissioned by SBEB.

11. ‘De veiligheid van toonbankbetaalmiddelen’, Een 22. ‘Global perspective on payments’: The McKinsey onderzoek naar de beleving van het gedrag van Global Payments Map, April 2009. de Nederlandse consument (‘The security of retail 23. ‘Betalingsverkeer in Nederland’ (Payments in the payments’, A study on the perception of Dutch Netherlands), McKinsey & Co, 2006. consumer behaviour), DNB, June 2009. 24. ‘Card and cash payments – the social perspec- 12. ‘Incentives at the counter’, DNB Working Paper tive in Sweden’, 2008. no 196, December 2008. 25. ‘Less cash on the counter – Forecasting Finnish 13. The impact of survey design on research out- payment preferences’, Bank of Finland Discussion comes: A case study of seven pilots measuring cash paper, 2004. usage in the Netherlands, DNB Working Paper No. 221, August 2009.

44 › 45 26. Forecasting Cash Use in Legal and Illegal Activi- in Euros within the eurozone) Commission of the ties, Arbeitsnotat 2000, Norges Bank. European Communities, May 2009.

27. Position Paper ‘Liability Shift’, Gezamenlijke Ned- 39. ‘Key Findings Cost of Payment Collection Survey erlandse Toonbankinstellingen (Platform Detailhan- 2009, Britisch Retail Consortium. del Nederland, Koninklijke Horeca Nederland and 40. ‘Local recycling with Q-Cash Router at Swed- Vereniging Nederlandse Petroleum Industrie), 2007. bank’, Banq IT, Stockholm. 28. Afronden: wat zijn de spelregels?, Informatie over 41. ‘Convenant Betalingsverkeer 2005’, ‘2010’ (Pay- de afrondingsregel ten behoeve van de (kassa-) me- ment Transactions Covenant 2005, 2010). dewerkers van de detailhandel (Rounding off: What are the rules?, Information on rounding off for cash 42. ‘Rentabiliteit transport- en logistiek-bedrijven register and other employees in specialist stores), beroepsgoederenvervoer over de weg 2009 en Platform Detailhandel Nederland*. verwachtingen voor 2010’ (the profitability of trans- port and logistics companies, haulage by road 2009 29. ‘Payment cards: a briljant future?’, Department of and expectations for 2010), June 2010. Research into modern criminal threats, November 2006. 43. ‘Grensoverschrijdend beroepsgoederenvervoer’, NEA: Korte-termijnontwikkelingen transport- en lo- 30. ‘The great cyberheist’, New York Times, Novem- gistiekbedrijven (‘Cross-border haulage’, Dutch Emis- ber 2010. sions Authority: Short-term developments among 31. Position Paper on the proposed regulation on transport and logistics companies), June 2010. professional Cross-Border Transportation of Euro 44. ‘Binnenlands beroepsgoederenvervoer’, NEA: Cash by Road between Member States in the Euro Korte-termijnontwikkelingen transport- en lo- Area, ESTA, October 2010. gistiekbedrijven (‘National haulage’, Dutch Emis- 32. ‘Visiedocument betalingsverkeer’ (Vision doc- sions Authority: Short-term developments among ment on payment transactions), 2010, Netherlands transport and logistics companies), June 2010. Competition Authority* (NMA). 45. ‘Proposal Regulation cross-border transporta- 33. Evolving payment habits - Proceedings of the tion Euro cash Eurozone’, European Commission, Bank of Finland - Payment Habits Seminar 2008. Brussels July 2010.

34. ECB Working Paper no 1136 - Payment scale 46. ‘Proposal Counsil Regulation - extension Scope economies, competitions and pricing - December of Regulation cross-border transportation Euro cash 2009. Eurozone’, European Commission, Brussels, July 2010.

35. DNB Occasional Studies vol 3 nr 2 – ‘Payments 47. ECB - Payment Statistics Netherlands - are no free lunch’ - 2005. september 2010 -1.

36. ‘Eurosystem measures towards a more efficient 48. Wincor Nixdorf - Cash-cycle Management Solu- cash-cycle’, ECB - ESTA conf May 2008. tions - The revolution in cash handling.

37. ‘The role of the central bank in cash-cycle’, Bank 49. ‘Cash Substitutions: Issues and Implications’, of Finland, Bulletin 1, May 2010. ESTA, A presentation to the European Central Bank.

38. ‘Witboek professioneel grensoverschrijdend 50. ‘Public v private money and SECA’, ESTA, 2007. transport Eurocontanten in Eurozone’ (White Paper: Professional Cross-Border Transport of Cash Websites consulted

1. www.ecb.int

2. www.dnb.nl

3. www.currence.nl

4. www.afm.nl

5. www.efficientbetalen.nl

6. www.dedetailhandel.nl

7. www.platformdetailhandel.nl

8. www.consumentenbond.nl

9. www.efma.com

10. www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu

11. www.esta-cash.eu

12. www.wijzeringeldzaken.nl

13. www.pinconvenant.nl

14. www.geldmuseum.nl

15. www.nmanet.nl

16. www.nvb.nl

17. www.rijksoverheid.nl

18. www.horeca.org

46 › 47 List of interviewed stakeholders

1. Jan Binnekamp, Head of Cash Policy, DNB 16. Eus Peters, Knowledge & Innovation Manager, Horeca Nederland 2. Maarten Brouwer, General Manager, Royal Dutch Mint 17. Arie Piet, CEO, Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé

3. Mark Buitenhek, Global Head of Payments & 18. Henriette Prast, Advisor to the Board of the Cash Management, ING and Chairman of the SEPA National Institute for Family Finance Information Steering Group Netherlands (NIBUD), Professor of Personal Financial Planning, Tilburg University 4. Ineke Bussemaker, Head of Payment Services and Savings, Rabobank 19. Els Prins, Secretary for Copyright, Payments and Criminality, MKB Nederland 5. Henk van den Broek, (former) CEO of De- tailResult, Chairman of Payments Steering Group, 20. Ben Schellekens, Payments and Pensions Policy Detailhandel Nederland Advisor for the Consumentenbond

6. Frank Burrekers, Manager of Health, Environ- 21. Arnout Schikhof, Head of Process Development, ment, Safety & Security, Shell-Retail DNB

7. Ad van der Horst, CFO of Blokker Holding, 22. Jos van der Stap, National Robberies Coordina- member of Payments Steering Group, Detailhandel tor, Korps Landelijke Politiediensten (KLPD) Nederland 23. Fred Teeven, State Secretary of Public Safety and 8. Jan Huurdeman, Commercial Manager of Servex, Justice hospitality and retail concepts 24. Coen Voormeulen, Division Director for Cash 9. Friso Hylkema, P1 General Manager and Payment Systems, DNB

10. Marina de Jongh, Manager of Competence 25. Willem de Vocht, Secretary for Payments Detail- Center Ticketing, NS Reizigers handel Nederland

11. Annemarie Jorritsma, Chairperson of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), Mayor of Almere

12. Tjibbe Joustra, (former) Chairman of the Association of Private Security Organisations (VPB), Chairman of the Dutch Safety Board

13. Klaas Knot, Manager and Vice Treasurer-General of Ministry of Finance, Professor of ‘Money and Banking’ at the University of Groningen, Chairman of the CentiQ Steering Group

14. Piet Mallekoote, General Manager of Currence

15. Miriam Osten, Manager Stichting Bevorderen Efficient Betalen (SBEB), Secretaris Task Force Cashloze Supermarkten (CBL) Organisations

1. De Nederlandsche Bank (the Dutch Central 9. Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (Royal Dutch Bank – DNB) Hospitality Association – HNL)

2. Maatschappelijk Overleg Betalingsverkeer (Na- 10. NS Reizigers (Dutch Railway Passengers – NS) tional Forum on the Payment System – MOB) 11. Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten 3. Korps Landelijke Politiediensten (National Police (Association of Netherlands Municipalities – VNG) Services Agency – KLPD) 12. Platform Detailhandel Nederland (Dutch Retail 4. Gemeentelijke Kredietbank Den Haag (Munici- Platform) pal Credit Bank of The Hague) 13. Nederlandse Mededingingsautoriteit 5. Stichting Bevordering Efficiënt Betalen (Efficient (Netherlands Competition Authority – NMa) Payments Foundation – SBEB) 14. Nederlandse Vereniging van Banken 6. Consumentenbond (Dutch Consumers’ Associa- (Royal Dutch Banking Association) tion) 15. MKB Nederland (Confederation of 7. Centraal Bureau Levensmiddelenhandel (Dutch Netherlands Industry and Employers VNO-NCW, Food Retail Association) SME Netherlands – MKB)

8. De Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (The Royal 16. Task Force Cashloze Supermarkten (Task Force Dutch Mint) Cashless Supermarkets – CBL)

Titles

1. ‘Contant geld geteld’ (‘Cash Counted’) 5. ‘Pinnen gaat het winnen van contant’ (‘PIN cards to trump cash’) 2. ‘bereikbaarheidsmonitor 2010’ (‘2010 accessibil- ity monitor’) 6. Hoe consumenten betaalmiddelen beleven: een publieksmeting’ (‘How consumers experience pay- 3. Opnieuw PIN records in 2010; ‘Trend: komende ment methods: a public survey’) jaren meer pinnen dan contant’ (‘2010 breaks PIN payment records; ‘Coming years to see trend from 7. Chartale Distributie Overeenkomsten (Cash cash to PIN payments’). Distribution Agreements – CDOs)

4. ‘Akkoord banken over pinnen van laagwaardige 8. Convenant Betalingsverkeer (Payment Transac- betalingen’ (‘Agreement between banks in respect tions Covenant) of PIN card use for low-value payments’)

48 Acknowledgements

About G4S Word of thanks G4S Cash Solutions provides and develops The authors would like to thank all those new security concepts that allow market who worked on the Cash Report 2011 operators such as retailers and banks to for their contributions, and in particular work with cash worry-free. The business the interviewees named in the appendix is part of G4S, a company whose 625,000 to this document. Without their input, employees in over 120 countries make it this paper would certainly have contained a world leader in Security Solutions. G4S fewer meaningful insights. A special is listed on the London Stock Exchange, word of thanks goes to Karin Tielenius with a secondary listing in Copenhagen. Kruythoff (G4S) and Marieke Roekx For more information, please visit for their production supervision and www.g4s.nl coordination; Edwin de Bruin and William Smit of DBSC Consulting for their Disclaimer and copyright valuable role in the interviews conducted; Although the Cash Report 2011 has been and Bart van Ratingen (Public-i Writers) prepared with care, it is still possible that and Taco de Vries (Payments Advisory the information published in this report is Group) for their editorial support. Lastly, incomplete or incorrect. G4S cannot be we wish to thank Eric Sijtsma for designing held liable for damages of any kind the Cash Report 2011. resulting from actions and/or decisions that are based on this publication.

No part of this report may be repro- duced, distributed or made available to third parties in return for payment with- G4S Cash Solutions out referring to and naming the source. April 2011 Cash Report 2011

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