Young people drive change from cash to plastic

November 8, 2005

Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St. Paul): In just the past year, the number of people reporting they primarily pay for things in cash sank by 20 percent, while those who mainly use debit cards nearly doubled. And there are real implications for merchants: For instance, when people pay with plastic rather than real bills in fast-food joints, they are tempted to buy and eat a lot more.