How we created the UK’s first cashless street

Think

Businesses need to be set up to allow customers to pay for all items using a card.

Feel

Trust in the process of card payments as a business owner and a consumer.

Do

Move towards more frequent use of cards over cash to pay for items.

Gaining buy-in and support from traders on Manchester’s Beech Road to allow the activity to go ahead was the first hurdle. Eight different businesses were then selected as spokespeople on behalf of the street, offering a range of media case studies. Video content on the day hosted by former BBC journalist Andy Johnston was housed on YouTube and ranked on P1 of Google. Blanket media sell-in spread awareness and authority of the experiment and the Handepay brand with target audience of small business owners and consumers.

Standout coverage included The Guardian, The Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4, Sky News and ITV

New business worth

£4million

logged by Handepay

Traders using cards only reported

22%

uplift in takings