Swedish retail businesses and banks have so completely embraced digital payments that countless stores violently refuse to accept cash, leaving physical money functionally useless in massive sectors of their economy.

A closer look

Swedish retail businesses and banks have so completely embraced digital payments that countless stores violently refuse to accept cash, leaving physical money functionally useless in massive sectors of their economy. Even homeless citizens selling charity magazines on the frigid streets of Stockholm carry portable credit card readers, completely destroying the classic excuse of not having any spare change in your pocket. While this high-tech utopia dramatically reduces armed robbery because there is nothing left to actually steal from the registers, it also ensures that every single financial transaction you make is permanently tracked by an omniscient corporate database. It is a brilliant trade-off where you enthusiastically surrender your last remaining shred of consumer privacy purely for the minor convenience of never having to touch a dirty coin again