Accepting debit and credit cards requires some good internal disciplines and while many local retailers are put off by the costs that they will incur, perhaps they should do the maths.

A Wiltshire retailer I talked to today told me he charged 25p on every debit and credit card transaction. He put a clear sign up by his till, explaining this, and created a barcode that is scanned for each transaction. No shopper has ever complained, he said.

Another retailer, from Derbyshire, said he charged 75p on any transaction below £10. No-one had ever complained, he said.

If clearly stated, the proposition is clear and your shoppers have a choice. The shopper benefits from the convenience and you benefit on the bottom line.