Tesco claims the change has improved the customer experience and has been well-received, however, critics have labelled it as “bonkers”, arguing it could alienate older customers.
Martin Quinn from the Campaign for Cash called the move a “mad decision”, claiming elderly customers or retirees will want to order in person, not via a computer screen.
While only 40 cafes have currently adopted the cashless system, it’s believed more could be on the way.
Cafes in Oldham, Sheerness, Newmarket and Ashford in Middlesex are among those that have gone cashless.
It comes as last year a pilot was launched before tech company Givex partnered with Tesco to refurbish the sites, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A Tesco spokesperson said that the new digital boards for food ordering have reduced queue times.
However, Sarah Gayton from the National Federation of the Blind of the UK charity criticised the move, describing it as “absolutely bonkers” and “not the right approach”.
She said: “It’s absolutely bonkers and a totally backwards step. Elderly people go to these places for chit-chat, to talk about the weather and about what’s happening in their lives. It might only be a few minutes of the day, but that is a very valuable conversation. Why should they be confused over croissants and coffee?
“Yes, businesses need to make a profit to sustain themselves, but transforming your customers into self-service automatons is not the right approach. How are those with visual impairments supposed to manage?”
Mr Quinn further commented: “As the vast majority of cafe-goers will be cash users, what they’re essentially saying is that they don’t want your business.”
He continued: “People will rightly vote with their wallets and take their custom elsewhere. It’s an utterly soulless experience.”
The move has infuriated some customers who have tan to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express their frustration.
One user vented: “At a Tesco cafe and you can’t order and talk to someone anymore, you have to use a machine. There’s been many confused elderly people.”
After visiting a Tesco cafe in Broadstairs, Kent, another user complained: “This has just been renovated and I came here to do shopping but first wanted to sit down with a coffee. I couldn’t do that because they don’t accept cash or Tesco gift cards as payment.”
A similar move was made at Marks & Spencer last year where they implemented changes in some of its cafes which required customers to order using touchscreens.
Meanwhile, Morrisons has reduced the number of self-checkouts in some of its stores after admitting they went a “bit too far”.
Tesco has reassured its customers that a member of staff will always be available to assist anyone having difficulty paying. Furthermore, no jobs have been lost due to the changes.
The supermarket behemoth has stated its ongoing commitment to maintaining cash as a payment option in other parts of its stores.
