TV celebrity up in arms about what's happening with cash in Spain: 'We must resist the change'

The end of cash seems to be drawing ever closer. The use of this means of payment, which was the most common in shops throughout Spain for decades, is at an all-time low: fewer and fewer people are going out on the street with notes and coins in their pockets to pay for their purchases.

One of the reasons for this decline has a lot to do with the convenience that credit and debit cards offer, with card readers becoming increasingly common in most establishments. According to data from the Bank of Spain, the pay-by-card method is now the most common in Spain, especially among those in the 25-34 age group.

The new craze for the cashless payment system, which allows fast and secure transactions, is also growing. In addition, many people have even stopped carrying a physical card, opting to pay with their mobile phone, as this prevents inability to pay in the case that a card is forgotten.

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However, although the option of paying by card has made things much easier, especially when you don't have cash on you, many people have spoken out against the disappearance of cash. The reasons given by some of them range from privacy concerns and reducing the risk of fraud to the reliability of cash and its benefits in helping to control expenses.

Some celebrities have also spoken out about the cash situation in Spain. One of the most critical voices has been presenter and actor Pedro Ruiz, who expressed his opinion of this trend on his X account (formerly known as Twitter).

"Yesterday, in a couple of places, I struggled to find change for cash to make two payments," said Ruiz. "The idea of disposing of cash is moving forward. We have to resist it," he stated.

This is not the first time the comedian has talked about the end of cash, as he has been criticising the issue for months , due to the risk its slow extinction poses on privacy: "I will resist as long as I can. Given the abusive control we already tolerate, paying in cash is the only way you can buy a sandwich, a pair of socks or three kilos of oranges without being spied on. Or at least that's what we believe?" said Ruiz's X profile a few months ago.