Cards to Replace Notes in Our AffectionsCredit and debit cards are expected to overtake cash this year as Britain's most popular method of payment, according to a new industry report.It will be the first time that card payments have outstripped cash outlay for goods and services. There are 246 plastic card transactions made every second.Total plastic card use is expected to exceed ￡269bn in 2004, just a whisker ahead of the predicted ￡268bn for cash payments,said a spokesman for the banking industry body the Association for Payment Clearing Services.The group, which represents the major banks, said credit cards had become "demonized" as one of the main causes of ballooning debts,but added: "Without plastic, our society would virtually grind to a halt."Last year, the number of plastic cards in use in Britain grew by 13 million, or 9%, to 160 million-the equivalent of 3.5 cards per adult.Two-thirds of card transactions are now made using debit cards.
