Cash vs card: which is safer against COVID-19?

MEDIA RELEASE

FRIDAY 3 APRIL 2020

ATM CASH IS STERILISED AND SAFER THAN EFTPOS

Many retailers are now refusing to accept cash payments, but notes withdrawn from an ATM are sterilised and could be safer, in preventing the spread of COVID-19, than using an eftpos machine for making purchases.

“Cash is sanitised with ultra-violet light, disinfectant sprays and stored for 24 – 48 hours to ensure it is free of contamination,” said Tim Wildash, chief executive of Next Payments, Australia’s leading independent ATM supplier.

“By contrast, EFTPOS terminals are used by hundreds of shoppers per day to make card transactions, to enter their PIN if required and select their account.

“Any germs or virus on a consumer’s card can be transferred onto the surface of the EFTPOS device.

“Each customer then runs the risk of picking up a disease because there is significant potential to come into contact with germs/virus on your hands and on cards with EFTPOS Payments,” said Tim Wildash.

“Our ATM machine keypads are frequently sanitised to keep them clean and relatively germ-free.

“Cashing companies are sanitizing notes with ultra-violet lights, disinfectant sprays and storing cash for between 24 and 48 hours to ensure germs can’t survive on their surface prior to replenishing the ATMs.

“On average between ten and fifteen customers per day use a clean and sanitized Next Payments ATM to access sanitized germ-free cash.

“Contrast that with using an EFTPOS machine that may have already been used by hundreds of other shoppers already that day.”

“There is no evidence of Cash spreading COVID 19, this has been confirmed by the World Health Organization,” said Tim Wildash.

For more comments or interview, contact: 

Tim Wildash - 0418 336 599 / twildash@nextpayments.com.au

Chief Executive Officer

Next Payments