Gloria Jean’s Coffees move to make select locations cashless slammed as leaving vulnerable people behind

Pop your head into a shopping centre cafe on any weekday, and you’re likely to spot more than one senior citizen sitting down to enjoy a coffee or tea.

But the ageing population say they are being excluded by a major cafe chain’s decision to trial cashless operations from this month.

Gloria Jean’s will be going cashless at selected stores from September 11, it confirmed.

It said the decision was made in part to “streamline operations” in line with customer payment preferences, but the ageing population is being left out of the equation, Council On The Ageing chief executive Patricia Sparrow said.

“This is part of a broader trend across the country and it’s worrying because it locks many people out of accessing services and makes it difficult for people to manage everyday transactions,” she told 7NEWS.com.au.

Retail Food Group, which owns the coffee shop chain, said the move reflected customer behaviour.

“The primary goal of this initiative is to transition our business towards customer payment preferences and, additionally, enhance the safety of our team members by reducing the need to handle cash and coin,” Retail Food Group told 7NEWS.com.au.

“We believe that going cashless will not only create a safer environment for our staff but also streamline operations, allowing us to serve our customers more efficiently.”

But Sparrow said minimising payment options based on majority preferences was ignoring the vulnerable minority group’s need to use cash.

“They often prefer cash because it gives them a tangible sense of control over their finances,” she said.

“Many older Australians may not feel comfortable with digital payments due to concerns about security, unfamiliarity with the technology, and fear of scams and fraud.

“When businesses eliminate the cash option, they effectively shut out those who rely on it or choose to use it, making everyday transactions unnecessarily difficult.”

Gloria Jean’s has stores nationwide, with 28 locations in Victoria, four in NSW, one in Canberra, three in Queensland, two in the Northern Territory and one store in Western Australia.

Only the company-owned stores, rather the majority of stores owned by franchisees, will be rolling out the cashless trial.

“There are no present plans to extend the above trial to their outlets, each of which continue to accept cash,” Retail Food Group said.

Sparrow said the inconsistency was confusing for ageing Australians.

“While no one is against improvements in technology, we need to make sure that no one gets left behind as things shift,” she said.

“There are a significant number of older Australians who don’t have a debit or credit card, estimated to be at least 300,000, and who need to use cash for a wide range of very good reasons.

“There are times when someone may prefer to pay in cash, and for many older people this is often the case.”

Another issue of concern was debit and credit card fees, which easily add up.

“Debit cards, which are like the digital equivalent of using cash, should not have such fees applied,” Sparrow said.

“As the financial landscape changes, we need to see the government mandate stronger consumer protections.”

According to its website, Gloria Jean’s is a chain “committed to positively impacting community groups”.

“Human connection is why we’re here, and sometimes we realise it’s as simple as two lattes,” it states.

This connection is crucial for older Australians, Sparrow said.

“For older Australians, being able to go out and enjoy a coffee with friends is integral to their well-being,” she said.

“We need to see the government and banks working together to find a solution.

“It’s not good enough to leave a section of our community behind.”