Good morning. It's Monday, the last week of June, June 29th. Welcome to

Axios today. I'm Naila Boodoo. Think about it. When was the last time you

used actual cash to pay for something? The

virus has accelerated our cashless society and it's also accelerated the

divide between those who depend on it and those who now live without it. The end of cash is today's one big thing.

The pandemic has upended so many things in our daily lives, including how we pay for things.

A.T.M. uses down.

E-commerce is through the roof to the delight of the banks that reap fees off every

time we use a credit or debit card. Contactless shopping is here to stay, but

there's an important reality check here. This is creating a bigger divide between service workers and the

people they serve. Jennifer Kingston is the business editor at Axios and she's been writing

about this. Here's some context. In the service industry, this is both interesting and pronounced. It's not necessarily the best thing for people who rely on tips.

Cash tips, as we know, are always preferred.

I read in the New York Times that at TGI Fridays,

when a member of the wait staff gets a cash tip,

they have to bring it to a back room,

take off their gloves, wash their hands for 20 seconds, put their gloves back on, and then

return to their jobs.

That's how great the fear is that money could be tainted in this way.

And that's despite the fact that health experts have since pulled back on guidance

the cash can transmit the virus. Interestingly the thinking has evolved since

we first learned about COVID-19. At first, the WHO issued a warning about using

...