Concept
Anyone who has traveled around the world knows this well... When you arrive in a foreign country, you'll soon need to make payments, and these will have to be in that country's currency. If you exchange your cash at a currency exchange office, you'll lose a percentage; if you do it at the airport, you'll lose even more. If you use your card, the exchange rate applied is never the official one; you always lose (yes, there are some cards that charge less, but you'll always lose money). It may be more or less, but you lose. The question is: why should you be the one to lose? Just like you, at the airport, at stations, there are thousands of travelers who want to complete the opposite process (probably because they are traveling to your country). You might even come across them without knowing it. Both of you will exchange money at offices or withdraw from an ATM, and both of you will lose. So why not exchange currency with each other?
At Hard-Cash Café, we propose that you exchange with travelers like you, without intermediaries and without additional fees. The intention of Hard-Cash Café is not merely to save a few coins when traveling. It is to offer an alternative for those who prefer a more direct and cost-effective way to exchange currencies.
Basic mechanics
You have your travel destination, and now you need to exchange banknotes and coins from one currency to another: open the app on your mobile, select the currencies, the approximate amount you want to exchange, and a search radius. The app provides you with a list of people who want to make the opposite exchange. Arrange a meeting with one of the other users and make the exchange hand-to-hand. Choose a public, safe, and busy place (coffee shops at stations and airports are generally good exchange points). Once the transaction is completed, both parties validate each other through a review system in the app.
Motivation
The primary and most immediate goal of the Hard-Cash Café community is to provide travelers with a way to exchange currencies without losses. Traveling already involves enough expenses and complications; unfavorable fees and exchange rates shouldn't be an additional concern. We aim to eliminate these losses by facilitating direct exchanges between travelers.
Our secondary motivation is to advocate for the use of cash and the preservation of financial privacy. In a world where electronic transactions are on the rise and cash is increasingly marginalized, it's crucial to defend people's right to choose how they manage their money. Cash offers a way to conduct transactions without being tracked or controlled by financial institutions, providing greater privacy and autonomy.
Additionally, we believe in keeping economic control in the hands of those who truly generate it. Bank fees and unfavorable exchange rates often siphon off value without offering real benefits. By enabling direct exchanges between individuals, people retain the full value of their money, eliminating unnecessary costs.
Philosophy
The growing trend to eliminate cash is part of a large-scale plan that could jeopardize individual freedom and privacy, as well as basic access to the economy for many disadvantaged groups. Each time you use your card, you are giving up a bit more of your privacy and autonomy to a system that monitors and records your every move. While the convenience of digital payments is undeniable, it's important to be aware of the implications. With each transaction, you provide data that can be used to track your behavior, consumption habits, and even your real-time location. This not only reduces your privacy but also makes you more susceptible to manipulation and control by financial entities and corporations.
Moreover, this constant surveillance can make you feel like a cog in a larger machine, where your decisions and movements are predicted and directed. Defending the use of cash is not just about nostalgia or convenience; it's a way to maintain your independence and protect your right to conduct transactions anonymously and free from constant scrutiny.
Furthermore, in light of current dangers such as international conflicts, cyberattacks, and cybercrime, cash represents a crisis-proof payment system with a high level of resilience against digital manipulation.
At Hard-Cash Café, we promote this freedom by providing an alternative that allows you to choose how and when you wish to share your information and conduct your transactions. We believe in a fair economy where people retain control over their money and privacy, beyond the reach of large corporations and financial institutions.
