I use my debit card for most things, unless I happen to be carrying cash. Which is rare, and never usually more than a tenner.

As for 'on the barrel head', it's an Americanism - on the nail was the British version.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cash-on-the-nail.html

I'd have to disagree, paying by card usually means waiting for the card to be authorised, typing in your PIN and waiting for the machine to say, "Please remove card" - I'd say that takes best part of a minute - though it seems much f***ing longer when you're waiting behind a queue of people and you're in a rush!

With cash, it takes less than 10 seconds, no contest really.

Don't get me wrong, I pay by card for a lot of purchases - but when I'm stuck behind people paying for a £2 sandwich on a credit card, it really makes me twitch!

A MINUTE!?!?!

Where are you buying stuff from? Outer Mongolia? Or is the transaction being authorised using messages sent with Morse Code?!

Whenever I use my card it usually authorises and says "remove card" in the time it takes to move my hand from the "Enter" button to where my card is.

I don't think I've ever had to wait longer than 3 or 4 seconds for a payment to authorise.

I'm with Steve. Even here in sunny Chatham, on a busy shopping day like a Saturday it can take some time for the authorisation to go through. I blame all the other shoppers overloading Banklays Bark with their card transactions for a two quid sarnie.

Most places here won't accept plastic on purchases under 20€. The merchant fees are too high, so it is cash only.

Yes, when I buy books online from Thalia, for example, they send out the books and a couple of days later, I get an invoice through and have 7 or 14 days to transfer the money.

Teufel, which sell probably the best PC speaker systems, don't (or didn't) accept plastic or pre-payment. It was all CoD, with the post office parcel service (DHL) collecting the money on the doorstep.

The American based online companies are usually the ones the require a credit card.

Plastic and points FTW! (Play.com)

Currently have £60 in my wallet, but I normally only carry £30 or so for 'emergencies', and frankly, that could just be a card getting rejected while buying comics

Wife She pays for everything but allows me a credit card for things like fuel for the car and food shopping (if she can't be bothered). All other purchases with the exception of online stuff are cash from my £10 a week pocket money (that was not a joke by the way ).

Al

plastic mostly, the rewards and benefits make it better (cashback, extended warranty + short term insurance on accidental damage)

I've got a bit of a problem with this at the mo since I've lost my wallet this morning. So at the mo the only option I've got is coins!

Jon

Even on your £2 packet of sarnies?

I get my lunch from Tescos with other stuff usually, and put it on my Tesco card so for the points too so yes

That is a difference here. Credit cards don't have any extras, like insurance or points. You can also only have a credit card with a bank, where you have a current account which gets your monthly salary paid into it - the balance is always paid off 100% each month from your current account, any overspend goes onto your overdraught.

So there is no real incentive to use a credit card.

Good thing it's covered by the warranty and insurance too.

A mixture of credit card and money here.

I usually have some cash in my wallet as I tend not to pay for small amounts (typically <£10) using cash if it's in a shop.
Larger amounts normally go on the card and I pay off the balance in full each month.
I can't remember the last time I used my bank/debit card for anything other than taking money out of a cash machine.

plastic for anything over £100 or over the net, otherwise I try for cash.