The question
Write about the following topic:
In many countries, cash is being replaced by digital payment methods such as mobile banking and contactless cards.
Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Key ideas for a high-band answer
- A clear answer to the question (e.g. the advantages are greater, provided vulnerable groups are protected).
- Convenience and safety: faster payments and no need to carry large amounts of cash.
- Financial inclusion: mobile banking (e.g. bKash) lets unbanked families send, save and receive money; digital records reduce tax evasion.
- Disadvantages: exclusion of elderly and rural users, online fraud and scams, loss of privacy.
- Solutions: keep cash for essentials, improve rural networks, scam-awareness campaigns, data protection laws.
Band 9 model answer
301 words · written by Abroadway to show band 9 features (not an official IELTS sample)
From buying groceries to paying school fees, more and more transactions are now completed with a phone or a card rather than with notes and coins. Although this move towards a cashless society creates some genuine problems, I believe that its advantages are greater.
The most obvious benefit is convenience. Digital payments are fast, and people no longer need to carry large amounts of money or queue at banks. More importantly, mobile banking has brought financial services to millions of people who never had a bank account. In Bangladesh, for example, services such as bKash allow garment workers in Dhaka to send money instantly to their families in distant villages, a process that once involved risky journeys with cash. This kind of financial inclusion helps poorer households to save, borrow and receive government support. Digital records also make tax evasion and corruption harder, since every payment leaves a trace.
Nevertheless, the disadvantages should not be ignored. Elderly people and those in rural areas with weak internet coverage may struggle to use digital systems, and they risk being excluded if shops stop accepting cash. Online fraud is another concern, as criminals increasingly use fake messages to trick users into revealing their PINs. Finally, there are worries about privacy, because banks and technology companies can collect detailed information about how people spend their money.
In my view, these problems are serious but manageable. Governments can require businesses to keep accepting cash for essential goods, invest in rural networks and run awareness campaigns about common scams. Strong data protection laws can also limit how personal information is used.
In conclusion, while the shift to digital payments raises valid concerns about exclusion, fraud and privacy, its benefits in convenience, security and access to financial services clearly outweigh these drawbacks, provided that vulnerable groups are protected.
Useful vocabulary for this topic
- cashless
- convenience
- mobile banking
- transactions
- fraud
- privacy
- elderly
- rural
- financial inclusion
Learn how to plan and write this essay type in the free lesson Advantages and disadvantages essays.
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