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Cash will never be obsolete until non-cash purchases can be made anonymous/paper-trailless. The black market is most likely 10%-50% of the market (depending on where you live, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_market#Comparison_with_re...).

Agreed, the only thing cash has going for it the privacy/freedom it provides from being tracked.

I hope cash is never obsolete. Here in Vancouver, Canada there seem to be more retailers hanging out "cash only" signs everyday - independent convenience stores, produce vendors at the public market, restaurants large and small. If I were wealthy I would only use cash, if for no other reason than to negotiate prices on large purchases.

I keep some cash for small purchases and tend to use it for local/small retailers/restaurants. I know how much it costs the store when I use plastic.

I also like that my 'balance' visibly goes down when I use cash.

However, I also don't spend often enough that I need to go to an ATM more than perhaps once or twice a month.