Cashless

Stellenbosch, January 2025

In the last century, crossing borders required a certain amount of preparation: going to a stockbroker or, in some cases, a bank, to pick up strange notes and coins, the value of which had to be memorised. These became tangible souvenirs of a trip, for money not spent or given away. The widespread use of bankcards equipped with a microchip has limited the use of cash, and these same cards have made it possible to recover local currency at the destination, virtually doing away with exchange agents in Europe.
Entering this ice cream parlour, whose products are so welcome in the heart of the austral summer, takes us a step further: not only is local currency no longer necessary, it has become useless. In this new world, only those who have these means of payment can acquire the coveted cones.
But for foreign visitors, a new chain of writing, invisible at the time of purchase, soon appears. While it is simple to calculate the price paid by converting currency, a bank exchange commission will appear on their account within two days. Based on a fixed amount and a percentage of the transaction, the inexpensive ice cream will almost double in cost. The price of a cashless world.