Small change, big hassle

The public see, small change as a big hassle!, according to a recent MORI survey for VISA International.

Whilst most people (96%) regularly use small change when paying for items such as car parking, single fare train tickets, a newspaper and snacks, over a third have experienced some form of inconvenience or frustration when using it.

More than a third (39%), have experienced difficulty when trying to pay for a small item with a bank note when they did not have the correct change.

More than half of respondents (51%) had been given a large amount of small change by a shopkeeper who didn't have any notes or large coins. Just over half (57%) say they have waited in queues while other people find the correct change to pay for the goods or services.

Forty five per cent would consider using a plastic card to pay for goods and services below 16310 in value.

Technical details

The survey was based on 1,051 face-to-face, in-home interviews conducted in Leeds between 11 January - 2 February 1997. Weighting factors were applied to ensure the sample was representative of the adult population of Leeds.