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How much disinfectant can the cash take?

Ford Prefect

Hi All:

I don't know how it is in the big city, but here in Tien Giang, a lot of times when I make a purchase, the vendor will spray my currency with a disinfectant. Sometimes they drench it. They may not keep their distance, they may not even wear a mask, but they make sure that the bills are germ-free.

According to no less an authority than the internet, Vietnam began a transition from paper banknotes to polymer banknotes in 2003, so the money is more durable. You probably couldn't do this with the paper money in my home country. But my question is, how much repeated spraying of disinfectant can these bills take? Are we going to see more faded banknotes in the future? It's hard enough for me to keep track of the denominations as it is!

Inquiring minds want to know!

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Fred

I understand this applies in Vietnam.



Touch and go cards were the banks' big thing before covid but they have achieved a whole new meaning now. All you do is tap the card machine with your card, enter your pin (If required fir that sale), and you've paid.
Quick, easy, and nobody needs to touch or disinfect your card.
I suppose the shops might like to rub an antiseptic wipe over the number keys between customers if they are that way inclined, but that's their problem.
Question is, will they spray the receipts before they hand them over? :D

AndyHCMC

Fred wrote:

I understand this applies in Vietnam.



Touch and go cards were the banks' big thing before covid but they have achieved a whole new meaning now. All you do is tap the card machine with your card, enter your pin (If required fir that sale), and you've paid.
Quick, easy, and nobody needs to touch or disinfect your card.
I suppose the shops might like to rub an antiseptic wipe over the number keys between customers if they are that way inclined, but that's their problem.
Question is, will they spray the receipts before they hand them over? :D


Great idea for supermarkets and shops Fred,,, be around another 100 years before all the market traders/street vendors stop using cash seeing most of them dont have bank accounts and keep their money at home and away from banks.  :lol:

THIGV

Although I am one who takes COVID-19 seriously, most of this disinfecting is what I call COVID Kabuki.  We catch the virus by inhaling respiratory droplets.   The chance of infection from solid surfaces is exceedingly rare.

haiphinguyen

Technically, it's polymer-based, so I might say it's water-proof.

I left some notes in my pant couple times and it's still the same after the laundry.

But we're talking about large note like 500,000 d.

I found smaller notes - which is less used now - are not that durable and resistant.

Actually, couple years after we first adopted the polymer, majority of small-valued notes got obsolete, faded real quick.

2014:
2014:

The Australian dollar bill - polymer as well - got way better quality.
Even thought they claimed it was the same technology.

THIGV

The US, land of plastics, makes it's money, in all denominations, on paper made from silk;  Vietnam and other Asian nations, the lands of silk, make their money out of plastics.   :/:dumbom:

haiphinguyen

THIGV wrote:

The US, land of plastics, makes it's money, in all denominations, on paper made from silk;  Vietnam and other Asian nations, the lands of silk, make their money out of plastics.   :/:dumbom:


Good point!

Years ago, we used seashells, or rocks to trade cotton and cattle.

Now we hover our phones over square stickers for groceries.

I reckon the materiality is no longer a matter.

Fred

Andybris2020 wrote:

Great idea for supermarkets and shops Fred,,, be around another 100 years before all the market traders/street vendors stop using cash seeing most of them dont have bank accounts and keep their money at home and away from banks.  :lol:


3 or 4 years ago I would have agreed with you, but no longer.
We have an app out here we know as Gojek. It started as a motorcycle taxi booking app, moved on to cars, then food delivery, then bill payments, and now pretty much everything.
Frankly, I'm shocked at the sheer brilliance of those who started the company and took it to the dizzy heights it's at now.
Over here we can pay for a lot of things using the app, even buy food at many street places - and at not a few market stalls.
We're still a very long way from ditching cash because a lot of people can't afford so much as a basic smartphone and data package, but we're getting there.