There can’t be too many people who are still lucky enough to receive their wages in the form of folding money inside a brown envelope.

There was a time when cash was king, but these days producing your wad, whether it be at a bar, or in a shop, will see you treated as if you are a leper offering contaminated filthy lucre.

The eyebrows will rise and the tutting start as the card machine is put to one side and they reluctantly realise they must accept your plastic notes as legal tender.

Of course, for a payee, cash is nowhere near as convenient as an online transaction, not to mention more expensive and potentially more open to crime.

And, although there have been a few high profile stories about people claiming they are being excluded, or discriminated against, because they can no longer pay with cash, most payers are now happier presenting a card or a phone screen.

Being the good husband I am, I took my wife to see her hero and dutifully sat alongside thousands of cowboy-hatted, feather-boa’d 14-year-olds at a Harry Styles’ concert. But, what I took from the evening was the fact I couldn’t buy a drink, a burger, or even a T shirt with cash - it was strictly phone/card payments only.

The number of places which refuse to accept legal tender by way of payment is only going to increase as we move forward and it will be interesting to see when cash is done away with altogether – at the rate we’re going I predict it will be less than a decade.

In Denmark they’ve already gone a step further with trials in several small towns. There, all the citizens are chipped with a small insert under their skin which carries all their personal info, including bank details, in much the same was way as we protect our pets.

They then simply walk into a shop, pick up what they want and leave. The goods, which are also chipped, are charged to them as they walk out the door.

Now, as I’ve said, I am aware of a few old dears who’ve got upset at not being able to push coins into parking meters any more, but it did get me to thinking about others who might feel they’re missing out.

It’s just a thought, but how will addicts to buy their drugs? How will it affect underage youngsters wanting to purchase booze and fags? And, what about an errant wife or husband wishing to pay for a hotel room without leaving an electronic paper trail?