The War on Cash: A Country by Country Guide

cash_futureBy James Corbett

Corbett Reporteers will be no stranger to the war on cash. I’ve made videos discussing it, conducted interviews about it, written articles examining it and dissected it on the radio.

The war has been waged through mainstream propaganda outlets, TV advertisements and even children’s games.

We’ve heard cash is dirtied by drug dealing, tarnished by terrorism, tainted by tax evasion (heaven forbid!) and just plain dirty. Not to mention sooooo outdated.

Just this week Norway has jumped aboard the cashless society agenda with DNB, the country’s largest bank, calling for a total end to cash. The story only sounds shocking because people haven’t heard the similar stories from Sweden or Denmark or India or Israel or any of the dozens of other countries whose banksters and (bankster-controlled) governments have openly lusted after a world of completely trackable, completely bank-controlled transactions.


But all of these stories, reported piecemeal here and there over the years, doesn’t give the full story about how this “war on cash” is being waged on every continent and in every country by the same banksters that stand to benefit from a cashless world. Let’s fix that by compiling a list of examples from around the world of how cash payments are being regulated, restricted and phased out. The list below will be updated as new stories come in.

If you have a link to relevant news from your own country or know of such news from another country, please let us know. Corbett Report members are invited to contribute to the list by logging in and leaving links to the relevant info in the comments below.

The Cashless Society List

CANADA – In 2007 the Canadian government stopped allowing payment of taxes in cash at government service centers. In 2010 Passport Canada followed suit. In 2011 56% of Canadians polled said they were happy to live in a bankster-controlled cashless society so the country killed the penny in 2012 and the Royal Canadian Mint started pimping the “MintChip” as a new form of electronic payment that will be “better than cash.” The Mint ended the program in 2014 but the Great White North is still on track to be a cashless society in the coming years.

DENMARK – In the 1990s about 80% of Danish retail purchases were made with cash, but these days it’s more like 25%. But if the Danish government has its way, that number will be 0% by 2030. That’s the year the Danish government has set for the complete elimination of paper money in Denmark.


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FRANCE – In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks last year, the French government stepped up its war on cash. In March of last year, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin declared it necessary to “fight against the use of cash and anonymity in the French economy” in order to combat “low-cost terrorism.” As of September 2015 it is illegal for French citizens to make purchases exceeding 1000 euros in cash.

INDIA – India is one of the most cash-dependent economies in the world with a cash-to-GDP ratio of 12% almost four times that of fellow BRICS nations Brazil and South Africa).  But it won’t be for long if the Indian government has its way. Last June the Indian Ministry of Finance posted a draft proposal to its website for facilitating the rise of cashless payments in the country. In his 2015 budget speech the Finance Minister declared: “One way to curb the flow of black money is to discourage transactions in cash. Now that a majority of Indians has or can have, a RUPAY debit card. I therefore, proposes to introduce soon several measure that will incentivize credit or debit card transactions and disincentivize cash transaction.”

ISRAEL – In 2014 a special committee headed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff Harel Locker released a report examining how to reduce the use of cash in the country. The report advocates reforms (including restrictions and limits on cash transactions) as part of a strategy whose aim is “reduced use of cash, reduced use of endorsed checks, and increased use of electronic means of payment.”

NORWAY – Late last week Trond Bentestuen, a senior executive at Norway’s largest bank, complained to the VG Newspaper that the Norwegian central bank “can only account for 40 percent” of the Norwegian kroner in circulation, meaning “that 60 percent of money usage is outside of any control.” There’s only one conclusion, according to Bentestuen: “There are so many dangers and disadvantages associated with cash, we have concluded that it should be phased out.” Don’t worry, though, the nation’s Finance Ministry says it has “no plans to change the law in this area”…for now.

SWEDEN – Last year Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology released a report stating that the country is on track to completely eliminating cash transactions in the foreseeable future. Noting that there are now only 80 billion Swedish crowns in circulation in the economy (down from 106 just six years ago), the report highlights how digital person-to-person payment technology “Swish” (developed in collaboration with Danish banks) is already transforming the country’s banking sector, where there are now entire banks that do not accept cash.

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35 Comments on "The War on Cash: A Country by Country Guide"

  1. If there are only 7 countries warring on cash, and none of them are the US, what’s to worry?

    • Have you tried to take any significant cash out of the bank lately? Over a couple thousand they report you to the police for an interview.

      • No they don’t. Cashed a check for 8 grand a couple years ago, no prob. 5 grand recently, no problem either.

        • You don’t happen to live in North Dakota, do you?

        • They know about. Promise you that, friend…

        • US federal regulations require banks file a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) for cash transactions $5K and over. At their discretion, banks can also notify law enforcement if they suspect criminal activity. thefreethoughtproject.com/feds-banks-inform-law-enforcement-customers-depositingwithdrawing-5000-cash/

        • Banking a the same bank for over 12 years went to take out $3000 they needed 2 forms ID and said they would have to add this to the “CTR Cash Transaction Report” which gets reported to the Govt. it a law. It was $5000 now it is $2500. Just because they did not tell you does not mean they did not report it.

          • Post by CAWS says that they report you to the police for an interview if you take out more than a few thousand. That is not true. Now the bank might file a SAR but that is not the same as having you reported to your local police to interview you.

          • The “law” is called REG-C. It used to be $10K, but you’re right. It’s now $2500. Besides reporting it and filling out the paperwork, you run an almost 100% risk of being stopped by a cop on your way out of the bank and having your cash confiscated…forever.

      • In the event that any money gets deposited into my local bank account, it is removed within 24 hours, usually at the ATM, after the bank is closed. Since my paychecks never exceed 3 digits, a couple thousand would be a couple of months worth. If my bank treated me like that, I’d proceed directly to a bank officer’s office to close the account and receive all of the contents in cash. The only money I leave in either of my checking accounts (for which I have never had any checks) will be withdrawn by the seller of something I bought over the Internet or the landline pay telephone. I’m not waiting for the bank holiday to get my money out.

        • Don’t try to walk out the front door with the cash. You will be arrested on the spot and all of your cash will be forfeit to the state on “suspicion” of illegal activity. They don’t have to return it to you and fighting them in court to get it back will cost you more than they stole. This is common today, known as “civil asset forfeiture”. I read at least one horror story a week about this happening. All governments (especially cities and cops) think that what you own belongs to them. You don’t need to be proven guilty of anything, just having the cash is enough to create “reasonable suspicion” (they don’t need “probable cause”) and steal your money from you on the spot.

      • “Over a couple thousand they report you to the police for an interview.”
        This is false.

    • I’m hoping that was sarcastic humor, and not narcissistic hubris. Remember, it takes more than one moron to defecate on multiple locations simultaneously. Just because they haven’t gotten to you yet does not mean one or more won’t slither up and doo you.

      • You must not know anything about North Dakota’s banking system that is different from your state’s. They won’t get to me because I don’t believe in hanging my banking butt out the window.

        • “If there are only 7 countries warring on cash, and none of them are the US, what’s to worry?”, was what I was responding to. I am familiar with the present banking situation for other reasons, and am just saying, like “gay marriage”, and “Obamacare is a tax.”, the arbitrary and capricious undue exercise of power can easily give you a fake suntan like the rest of us.

          • I have never had a fake suntan because I eschew use of the carcinogenic chemicals used in suntanning and sunblocking products in the same way as I work against arbitrary and capricious exercise of power regardless of whether it is due or undue. Fiat currency has never been a good idea, made even worse by fractional reserve central banking.

          • Besides “fractional reserve” (the bank doesn’t have to keep the cash to cover withdrawals…prime excuse for a “run” on the bank), since Congress nullified Dodd-Frank, once you make a deposit, the money is no longer yours. You are then legally (according to the new laws) an “unsecured creditor”. In the event of the bank going under, you get paid LAST, after they cover their bets in the stock market USING YOUR MONEY.

    • It’s a Corbett community open source research project. The current total of countries is 15: Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, UK.

  2. Canada has moved slowly towards this goal. IN the western province of BC there is a huge underground economy, some estimate as much as 50% of provincial GDP – all that weed. Still Canada remains a boot strapped nation that prides itself on getting along. A large portion of society is already blanked out of the system. Recently a homeless man won $90,000 in a lottery in BC but couldn’t cash the ticket because he need a birth certificate from another province which he could only obtain with ID from his current province (BC). Someone on a TV station hotline helped him through but the point being he didn’t exist and had major difficulty breaking through. That will be the norm as those of us who refuse to go quietly into the night will be more marginalized and excluded. God’s speed all

    • This is an employment opportunity for those willing to charge a fee covering the taxes and a nominal fee. Forming a legal trust/corporation to anonymize winnings may also frustrate the tyrants in their nefarious scheme.

  3. Of course they want a cashless plastic internet funny numbers system. The all seeing eye crowd want to keep from printing money – it’s way cheaper to keep track of phony money on the internet. They will track your every purchase from cradle to grave.

  4. Is it fair to say the biggest objective of a cashless society is control. If you get out of line by questioning the authorities, they can just shut off your account and you have no cash to fall back on. Or is this just a given?

  5. Red Alert! This is a disturbing trend by governments that want to control citizens.

    Besides tracking your every purchase, a government will be able to zero out your account with a few keystrokes. Do you really want a corrupt government to have this power over you?

    Look how the U.S. has abused the No-Fly list with THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE with absolutely no connection to terrorism unable to fly, with no explanation and no way to get off it. Governments abuse every power they’ve been given; we cannot give them absolute control over our finances!

    So what do we do about it? I REFUSE TO DO BUSINESS WITH ANY COMPANY OR BANK THAT DOESN’T ACCEPT CASH! Let’s see them try to eliminate cash when we eliminate their business with our boycotts!

    • As usual the gov will use fear tactics, national security, cant work and so on to get everyone on board. Im with you though! We need a lot more people to understand whats going on to get them on board. Realise too, many people already do all their buying with card. Not sure about this one. I think it will be easiest thing to convince people of. And of course, the gov will promise they wont have control over your money; unless you step out of line!

    • “I REFUSE TO DO BUSINESS WITH ANY COMPANY OR BANK THAT DOESN’T ACCEPT CASH!”

      Try checking into a hotel or motel today using cash. NONE of them will accept cash any more.

  6. One of the final days features is the mark of the slime, controlled permission to live, economic system. The totalitarian imbecilic society run by the morons who deify Satan, calling him Lucifer, is the transitional warning sign that augurs in the Time of Jacobs Trouble. Since morons aren’t so good at making signs, and imbeciles don’t do much reading, much less understand what is meant by he assemblage of words, the rest of us fall victim to stupid forming a critical mass. Maranatha! And for the sentient but unredeemed, repent or duck.

    • Yes I agree. All we can do is continue our fight and pay an eventual price. If you know the book of Revelations you will surely know that the plan for NWO WILL HAPPEN. They just wont be putting me in chains. I will fight and may die doing it but, im not affraid of that and nor should anyone else on here. You can die for freedom or die a slave. The choice is easy, friends…

  7. Global Fascism and this WILL happen . You go to grocery store to buy 100.00 worth of food for your wife and baby but the cashier electronically checks account and kindly informs you 85.00 was deducted cause you owed ….. name your bill , Taxes , parking ticket , car tabs etc , etc etc . and now you have only 15.00 in your account . …..” Sorry sir you’ll kids will have to starve cause you were stupid enough to fall for cashless scheme “

  8. GOD’S BANK: DESIGNED TO DESTROY THE
    ILLUMINATI

    ONE GLOBAL NON-PROFIT BANK

    THE TOTAL SOLUTION is “GOD’S
    BANK”

    Copyright© Mark S Filby.

    ‘OUR GLOBAL SOLUTION FOR THE 21st
    CENTURY.’

    WHAT IS GOD’S BANK?

    God’s Bank is a totally radical
    alternative to current global economic platforms. A unique
    combination of free market and closed economic policies,
    coupled with total reformation of our traditional methods of banking
    and thinking towards money. God’s Bank recognises
    the fundamental errors in current economic policies which are
    collapsing globally.

    God’s Bank addresses the critical
    error of allowing a currency to become a commodity, which allows for
    manipulation from external forces, of which we may not know their
    agendas. It fully addresses the inherent problems with open economies
    and finally establishes total accountability from every sector of
    human endeavour, the legal and illegal activities of corporations,
    governments and individuals.

    God’s Bank utilises an intangible
    medium of exchange instead of tangible paper money, notes, cheques,
    cash or coinage. Electronic ‘money’ is available to all levels of
    society from government and business to consumer alike. Another
    method of classifying this means of accounting for commerce is a form
    of “e” currency. Meaning the actual currency is not material but
    electronic. Therefore God’s Bank, as such is an alternative to cash
    or money. God’s Bank is the only viable future reality for today’s
    electronic global economy. It is the new global currency available to
    everyone with access to the internet or telephone.

    The current structure of the global
    economy, has at its base, a critical error in the usage of money,
    which is debt based money creation and supply. With the
    tradability of the medium of exchange, money was allowed to become a
    commodity. Put in very simple terms this means that once money became
    a commodity it allowed people with an abundant supply to loan money
    at exorbitant rates, sometimes enslaving the borrower.

    This meant that current economic
    policies allowed people to become dependent off other peoples
    efforts. Whoever could create a shortage of money, and then supply
    the demand, with interest, actually became a non productive member of
    society and survived or even prospered at someone else’s expense.
    One only has to casually observe the current global economic policies
    and the resultant imbalances to observe this fact taken to its
    extreme. Resource rich third world countries are servicing impossible
    outcome debt scenarios, with the third world populations as virtual
    slaves to businessmen, bankers and their dictators.

    What’s wrong with money/
    banking/cash?

    There is a perceived shortage of
    money or capital, when in actual fact; there is no shortage but a
    creation and usage problem. We have allowed banking to create debt
    instead of governments actually creating sufficient money for society
    to function for the sake of its citizens. Capital flows around
    society often go undetected from country to country and bank to bank.
    There is no honest central registry to monitor the origin or
    destination of transactions. This allows ‘laundering’ of funds.
    This is how wars and all other illegal activities are financed.

    The fundamental error of
    globalisation without accountability. Overseas banks, diverse
    taxation laws and no common ground between financial systems. The
    ‘global village’ requires a ‘closed’ economy as opposed to
    the current ‘open’ economy. A system designed to be open to
    scrutiny and closed to fraudulence or crime. The elite use these so
    called individual ‘rights’ to hide their abuses of wealth.
    From
    fraud, forgery, theft, crime and the many abuses of wealth, the
    current economic platforms fall drastically short of being ‘smart’
    or humane in today’s society. In essence, printed money and
    banking have reached their sensible use by dates. Cash money requires
    printing, handling and physically transporting which makes it
    non-competitive with an electronic currency. As a tangible product it
    also means it can be removed from circulation and laundered into
    other economies or utilised for illegal activities. This is exactly
    how and why our planet is being gripped by TERRORISM, drug usage and
    crime. Printed and coined money has been abused since its inception.
    It was the best thing available at the time, but today’s society
    needs accountability from every level of society, and will embrace
    the solution. Put in simple terms cash and the current banking system
    are obsolete. Only complete denial from the reader could
    dispute the current global situation.

    Why will we change?

    We will change when the system
    crashes completely, this will force the democratic majority to think
    beyond the current system. When we see that this system surpasses the
    current economic model and when we are prepared to accept the truth
    about how inadequate our current system is. When we as a society
    decide to take responsibility for our lives and decide to correct
    society’s problems. When we acknowledge that most of our crimes,
    poverty, fraud and inequalities are rooted in our economic policies.
    Economic discrimination is potentially society’s greatest problem.

    This new system will remove
    privilege and force some to become useful functionaries of society
    just like the majority. On the other end of the scale, it will also
    signal the end of unemployment. If we have the capacity to rectify
    many of our social ills and the only limitation that currently exists
    is our ‘shortage of money’ and the God’s Bank system rectifies
    this problem and practically removes any fiscal problems, then why
    would the democratic majority support a system for elitists or people
    evading their responsibility?

    What is this new system based on?

    A new system based on total
    accountability, will help work towards eliminating crime. The
    implications are incredible. The banking industry as you know it will
    be ELIMINATED by God’s Bank. The new system will have only one
    point of record for every transaction, globally. This will eliminate
    fraudulent activities. As a society we can fully trace every economic
    transaction on a global basis, we can then eliminate the so called
    tax evasion havens, money laundering and most illegal transactions.
    Accountability from the bottom right up to and including the record
    keepers. A system that is totally open to inspection. If there is
    nowhere to hide money, there are very few areas for lies.
    This
    will be a non-profit banking system for the world.

    Why will it be non-profit?

    Our global village needs a new
    system to rectify the current shortfalls being experienced in every
    sector of our communities. We need a new way to address unemployment,
    poverty and crime on a global basis. We no longer are individual
    countries with our own internal economies. It is time we accepted our
    role in society beyond short term profit outcomes. In essence we have
    to remove our bankers for the democratic majority. We can no longer
    disclaim our knowledge of how severe life is for our fellow man, when
    we are presented with a solution. Can we tolerate people starving to
    death because of profit?

    There could be no justification for
    change, if God’s Bank was only changing the power base, not
    rectifying the problem. The actual ‘power’ should be within the
    hands of the democratic majority, not with some elitist minority
    group of bankers, dictators or people who accept a system based on
    keeping people as slaves by utilising economic principles which were
    forced on society many years ago.

    Nothing justifies this behaviour.

    Current economic budgetary controls
    hinder mankind from solving its problems. Therefore if we remove the
    banking industry and maintain the medium of exchange as an
    institution for the benefit of society, then society would never
    again have to play the existing banking game. The end of the current
    system. Current global economics prove that the current method is
    fundamentally flawed and failing pathetically. Imagine our global
    society with the ‘profits’ from banking being redistributed
    through all sectors of society. No longer would there be so
    many financial restrictions placed on society’s endeavours. Imagine
    a world freeing itself from poverty, starvation and “economic
    rationalisation”, all because we decided to make a change.

    Why did this problem arise?

    The answer is basic ignorance. “The
    way it is” mentality and the non availability of computers and
    technology meant that society was not ready, willing, or able to
    solve the problem. The current economic and monetary systems have not
    changed from the past. We still basically have the original system
    only modified for our times. Wealth was originally based on one’s
    ability to conquer or steal.

    NB: This system only replaces the
    banks. It does not give everyone $millions! OK

    The profits return to society in
    public works and eliminating TAXATION
    Today’s society does not call for
    survival of the fittest anymore, but beckons us into the 21st century
    caring for each other. Whilst we have evolved on a mental level of
    compassion, we unfortunately carry our primitive past within the
    confines of our economic policies.
    The reality of today’s
    society says that whoever has the most money rules. Not much
    different from our primitive past, when the biggest club or sword
    ruled. Money is coined liberty. The masters control. Today’s
    economic platforms are based on feudal mentalities.

    Why should it change?

    We should change when it will be
    better for the majority; this is the essence of a democratic society.
    We have fallen into the false belief that society is functioning
    because of money. When in actual fact society functions because we
    decide within our minds to make things happen. Money transformed from
    representing actual material wealth in the form of gold or silver, to
    being a means of transferring value. God’s Bank is an advanced way
    of electronically measuring worth, a form of transportable barter.
    Society only requires accountability to function equitably.

    How could society exist without
    money?

    Society existed before money was
    invented. This new system does not actually eliminate “money”, it
    only changes what we perceive and accept the medium to be. In times
    gone ‘money’ has assumed many different forms. From teeth,
    shells, salt and paper notes to credit cards and ultimately to
    electronic credits registered within the confines of a computer
    system. Money has changed forms many times. We have here an
    opportunity to make real changes for ourselves. This is the first
    time we as a society are being presented with an opportunity to end
    the primitive ways of our past.

    How come people starve?

    Greed and ignorance……………..
    How do we justify telling our children that we cannot afford to feed
    people? We justify our actions because there is insufficient profit
    in the process, so we let real people starve to death. Every day we
    casually go about our own business and resign ourselves to the
    situation. We really have to look long and hard at ourselves and ask
    ourselves a simple truth, are we prepared to fix our system?
    Our governments and business leaders tell us that we don’t have
    enough money to feed people. So we let them die. Profit before
    life itself!

    Why do people fear change?

    Society has been plagued with fear
    ever since time began. Fear has been the ultimate control mechanism.
    Fear is still used today by all levels of society. There is no logic
    to fear.

    The people running our global
    banking system will attempt every method of ridiculing this system.
    They will attempt to tell you that it is impossible to replace them.
    They rule you with fear. They will always insist that money is not
    only necessary for survival, but that our society would be overthrown
    by anarchy if society lost its status quo.

    They are only telling you half the
    truth.

    Our society needs checks and
    balances, rules and regulations, but it does not need such blatant
    imbalances between the haves and the have nots. This is the last
    bastion of prejudice existing within our society. In our society
    today, our friends, place of residence, lifestyle and future are
    determined by the amount of money we have. If you are born into a
    poor family, you will be prejudiced against. This is blatant
    discrimination equally as twisted as discrimination based on skin
    colour, race or religion. If you are continually fooled into
    believing that everything only happens because of money, then you
    will be held captive by your bankers from the cradle to your grave.

    The essence of this system is simply
    a non-profit banking system. How well is the current system
    working for the democratic majority?

    YOU HAVE TO DECIDE TO ACT NOW. THIS
    IS YOUR TIME TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
    LISTEN ONLY TO TRUTH, NOT FEAR.

    Ezekiel 7:19 KJV

    19 They shall cast
    their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their
    silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of
    the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither
    fill their bowels: because it is the stumbling block of their
    iniquity.

    There are NO privileges allowed: ALL men are
    equal, soon. Love ALF

    RELAX: YOUR STUFF IS SAFE, THINK IT THROUGH SLOWLY
    PLEASE.

    WE, remove the psychopaths currently
    financing wars and death. I would like to give THEM a JOB cleaning
    OUR toilets!

  9. No cash = System of the Beast… its coming so it is just a matter of time…

    Always be a light shininginthedark

  10. control is the goal. surveillance of every aspect of life. BS

  11. I had gotten out of the habit of carrying more than about $20 on me, especially when traveling through the U.S. due to “civil asset forfeiture” (a.k.a. “Grand Theft Cop”). I would have a debit card and a VISA card on me which the cops couldn’t access. Now the FEDs have gotten into the act and just sic the IRS on you to drain your bank account without your knowledge (or culpability). My bank that has the cash is now in another country and only accessible via a card and not subject to the IRS, FED or even an American court order. Pain in tukas, but necessary today to keep corrupt cops and cities (which is almost 100% of them) from bankrupting you on the highway.

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