BACKLASH GROWS AGAINST CASHLESS SOCIETY

Fears voiced over hackers and loss of privacy

There was a time when cash was king, but a growing number of businesses worldwide are now refusing to accept payment with bank notes or coins.

In the United States, the move toward a cashless society has sparked a backlash amid fears that digital payments marginalize the poor, especially the 8.4 million households - 6.5 percent of all households in the country - that do not have a bank account or access to a credit card, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.