IELTS Writing Task 2 – Band 8.0 Sample

In many cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, paying by QR code has become second nature for young people. Despite the obvious convenience of digital payments, I disagree that cash should be phased out entirely.

Admittedly, a cashless economy offers clear advantages. Electronic transactions are faster, leave a digital record that makes tax evasion harder, and reduce the risks of carrying large sums of money. Sweden, where only a small minority of purchases are now made in cash, has seen a sharp fall in bank robberies. Such a system also saves businesses the cost of handling, storing and transporting notes and coins.

However, abolishing cash altogether would leave vulnerable groups behind. Many elderly people, as well as those in remote rural areas, either lack a smartphone or do not feel confident using banking apps, and some low-income workers have no bank account at all. For them, cash is not a habit but a lifeline. Furthermore, a fully digital system is only as reliable as the technology behind it. A power cut, a cyberattack or a network outage could leave an entire city unable to buy food or medicine, whereas cash continues to work in any emergency.

There is also the issue of privacy to consider. Every electronic payment can be tracked, so a society without cash would give banks and governments unprecedented insight into citizens' private lives, from their medical expenses to their political donations. Once this information exists, it could easily be misused by hackers or by authorities with little regard for civil liberties.

In conclusion, although digital payments will almost certainly continue to dominate, cash should remain available as a safety net for those who depend on it and as a safeguard against technical failure and excessive surveillance.