A cashless society is a great idea, but new data form Britain reveals that we’re a long way off cashless living.

According to The Independent newspaper, British shoppers spent £5bn ($10bn) more in notes and coins last year, challenging the long-held view that Britain is becoming a cashless society.

A survey suggests the value of cash as a proportion of total spending rose from 32 to 34 per cent, the first reversal of a two-decade trend. The British Retail Consortium – whose findings were hotly disputed by payment body Apacs – suggested people wanted to put less money on plastic because of the credit crunch. Its Cost of Collection survey was based on results from 17,000 shops. The results reveal cash has increased from 54 per cent to 60 per cent of all transactions totalling £264bn.

This hasn’t stopped Barclaycard testing out a system of “contactless” cards, reports Rob Mackrill at The Daily Reckoning UK. “If adopted by retailers,” says Rob, “the cards permit secure payment on items up to £10. The card is also an Oyster card meaning it can be used on London’s transport network. Barclays has an ambitious roll-out plan and counts EAT, Coffee Republic, Books Etc, Krispy Creme and Yo Sushi amongst outlets already adopting the technology.”