“Your money’s no good here.” If you hear that in the Danish shop in the near future, they’re not offering you goods on the house; they mean it literally. 

 

As part of a growth package presented by the government on Wednesday, some Danish stores will be granted an exception from laws requiring them to accept cash. 

 

The Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv) said it was about time that shops be given the option of going cash-free. 

 

“Society has changed so much that there is no longer a need for requirements on cash payments. Plus, cash has become tremendously expensive to handle due to security reasons,” chamber spokesman Henrik Hytolft told broadcaster DR. 

 

The government’s proposal will still require supermarkets, doctors, dentists, post offices and pharmacies to accept cash – exceptions criticized by Hytolft. 

 

“We hope that experience will show that you can also exempt the remaining businesses,” he said, adding that it only “a small minority” of Danes would be negatively affected by the no-cash rule. 

 

If the government’s proposal is approved, stores could begin rejecting cash on January 1, 2016.