this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2025
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This post is a reminder that Visa and Mastercard are two american companies and that every time you pay for something with your credit card you are most likely paying taxes to trump and his goons.

This post is also intended to be a provocation to all the crypto haters and the cashless payment fanatics.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 52 points 3 weeks ago (15 children)

Yeah! It's best to use the national network, if it exists in your country. Also, daily reminder that the EU is working towards the digital Euro.

This post is also intended to be a provocation to all the crypto haters and the cashless payment fanatics.

I don't really get this tbh...

[โ€“] [email protected] 20 points 3 weeks ago

The digital euro looks so promising, even if it's a small thing. Ditching Visa and Mastercard would help reduce intermediates in the payment chain, even if the replacement is the bank itself.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 38 points 3 weeks ago (17 children)

This post is also intended to be a provocation to all the crypto haters

When crypto is backed by a regulatory body and isn't just speculative gambling, I might take it more seriously.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 25 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Corporations in America don't pay taxes. They kill us slowly and erode our democracy and sponsor facism but they don't pay taxes.

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

They don't pay income tax, but they do pay tax. They pay payroll taxes when paying employees, and those employees have to pay income taxes on those wages.

If you buy american, some of that money will go to the feds in taxes, and the US has a major corporate tax evasion problem. Both are true.

[โ€“] [email protected] 21 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They're not the only options!

There's also..... American Express

How do we not have an international European card processor?

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Because usa government and companies bought the current politicians

[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

While it is partly true - look at how big lobbyorganisations of said companies are in Strasburg - I do not like how General this is. "All politicians are bought" is just straight up wrong.

[โ€“] [email protected] 18 points 3 weeks ago

Digital Euro when?

[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (4 children)

In Sweden we have Swish, which allows you to pay for stuff online without using any debit or credit card. I use it all the time, I cannot remember last time I paid online with card, unless it was from a foreign online shop/service.

However, it often isn't available in grocery and retail stores. But it is often available in rural areas or small shops who don't want to pay the fee for cards.

Also, Sweden is developing an e-krona, an electronic version of the Swedish currency. It should hopefully replace cards in all shops in the future.

Until then, using cash in grocery and retail stores is always possible. The problem is most swedes haven't seen physical money in so long I am not certain they still know how to use it... ๐Ÿค”

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

MobilePay in Finland and Denmark. I am not so sure the underlying payment infrastructure is US-free though.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

This is a good point concerning Swish too, I have no idea.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You actually can pay in quite a few retail shops using swish nowadays.

Also loads of stores don't accept cash at all. Most big stores like grocery stores accept cash but not always all tills

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[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

For Willys or Hemkรถp you can download the app and scan. Scan directly in the Hemkรถp app. Use scan&go on the Willys app

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[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Wait, we're getting an e-krona?

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Probably. Riksbanken is currently investing how it could be implemented: https://www.riksbank.se/sv/betalningar--kontanter/e-krona/

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[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago

Reminder: Arguing and discussion is okay, but keep it civil and do not attack the person you are arguing with.

[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

There is already a solution inside the EU, the shops just have to support it now. "Over the course of 2025, banks will no longer be allowed to charge additional fees for instant transfers in euros. Banks in all 20 euro countries must also offer the real-time service as standard."

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

So what should we use๐Ÿ˜‚?

This is getting absurd

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Depends on whatโ€™s available where you live. In Poland we have BLIK! I think a few other countries are starting to use it too. The way it works is that in your banking app you get a 6 digit code, and enter it in the terminal. Less convenient than tap-to-pay but writing that made me realize how spoiled I am, lol. Itโ€™s really convenient for online purchases though, no need to spend all that time writing card info and no risk of that info getting into the wrong hands.

Some things are harder to replace than others, and no one expects you to change everything anyway. I donโ€™t know why itโ€™s โ€œtoo absurdโ€. If anything, our dependence on that makes them all the more important to use/develop alternatives for.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

In (only) Italy you can use Bancomat

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I often paid with my cards (or my watch), but switched to cash until there is a legit european alternative. Most cryptocurrencies are pump and dump schemes

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Same with American Express and Discover.

The alternatives I know of are JCB, UnionPay, Interac and RuPay

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Any time you use a card at a PoS terminal in the US, one of those two are likely the payment processor as well.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Hast du dir mal das Logo mit dem zwei Kreisen nรคher angeschaut?

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Giro payment system lรคuft getrennt von Visa und Mastercard. Viele Girokarten sind aber eine Kombination aus Giro und Visa oder Masterkarte und da kommt manchmal das Logo her.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I think that's one of the part where there is no credible alternative, most of your credit/debit card will be either Visa or Mastercard, they're monoliths

every time you pay for something with your credit card you are most likely paying taxes to trump and his goons

Genuine question, how so?

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The real problem here is that the "alternative" is a lot country specific alternatives that have no leverage to command worldwide adoption.

This could only be addressed ultimately by EU federalization. Let's see how much time until people and governments take to realize this.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Does the same go for debit cards?

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