Zoo's refusing legal tender CASH admission/Cashless Only

Eric

Eric

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Hi. Simple question. Apart from Marwell and Beale (and possibly London/Whipsnade ZSL?),which other zoo's & Wildlife Parks are refusing to accept cash at the gate admission? I understand online card bookings are encouraged.Cashless admissions are not always safer and necessarily quicker.

I got a card but feel the refusal of cash admissions restricts those less financially fortunate or wanting to go on the spur of the moment..

I'm asking because i intend to visit/revisit some zoos this summer, so i can rule OUT visiting the cashless ones
 
Last edited:
ZSL doesn't refuse cash for admission though much of the site at say Whipsnade has cashless transactions in some areas particularly the ice cream kiosks, cash is accepted in the main cafes etc, it's heavily messaged otherwise though.

I think you should probably just check with the zoos that you want to visit as there is a difference between cash on admission and cashless within zoo grounds; even the zoos themselves are seemingly a bit ambiguous on whether they accept cash. For example, perhaps a more regular visitor to Beale than me can advise but I've seen cash on the gate there and cash POS though not in the cafe inside the zoo which is cashless. That's if you are ruling out visits only to zoos that remove cash inside the zoo but allow it on entry of course.
 
Eric said:
Hi. Simple question. Apart from Marwell and Beale (and possibly London/Whipsnade ZSL?),which other zoo's & Wildlife Parks are refusing to accept cash at the gate admission? I understand online card bookings are encouraged.Cashless admissions are not always safer and necessarily quicker.

I got a card but feel the refusal of cash admissions restricts those less financially fortunate or wanting to go on the spur of the moment..

I'm asking because i intend to visit/revisit some zoos this summer, so i can rule OUT visiting the cashless ones
Click to expand...
Marwell from being cashless is now back to using cash in the shop and other places so I do not know ,but think it would be possible to turn up and pay at the shop for tickets in cash, with the new entrance now you can walk in and get to the shop without getting in to the zoo first.
 
Vote with your feet and simply visit those zoos and other businesses which DO accommodate you.
They will soon change back when they notice the drop-off.
I remember seeing an old leaflet which showed that Hamerton also accepts Euros and US Dollars, as well as Sterling - not sure if that is still the case, though...
 
I might even be tempted to send a polite email to the zoo's enquiry line to ask for clarification - even if you don't get the answer you want, at least they will know there's demand.

One phrase that won't help you unfortunately is 'legal tender' - that doesn't have any bearing on attractions or shops as it only refers to something that a court must accept as payment for legal debts - no businesses are bound by what is legal tender and can accept or refuse whatever they like as payment as it stands. So, yeah - until/unless there's a change in the law (and it has been mooted recently) it's a case of voting with your wallet and politely letting them know they lost income if you want to encourage change (pun mostly unintended :D ).
 
Eric said:
I understand online card bookings are encouraged.
Click to expand...

As an aside, I think at this stage this is mostly because it allows them to plan staffing and car parking better - I'm not sure this is a card vs cash issue really, just that online booking obviously precludes cash by its nature. I like having this as an option but the days of it being a requirement everywhere were very wearisome - a group of us went on a week's zoo tour of the south west in 2021 and had to spend a whole evening just before we went booking all the zoos in in formation to make sure we all got in the same places on the same days...
 
Maguari said:
As an aside, I think at this stage this is mostly because it allows them to plan staffing and car parking better - I'm not sure this is a card vs cash issue really, just that online booking obviously precludes cash by its nature. I like having this as an option but the days of it being a requirement everywhere were very wearisome - a group of us went on a week's zoo tour of the south west in 2021 and had to spend a whole evening just before we went booking all the zoos in in formation to make sure we all got in the same places on the same days...
Click to expand...

2021 was ‘a different kettle of fish’ though. At least nowadays, away from the peak times, you can just walk up to get in or book via the websites on the same day.
 
Last summer I visited Paultons park another cash less place, upon arrival though we have pre booked tickets but on arrival we found that here banking systems had been hacked and where down. I think this was a wide spread thing and not just Paultons which although we could get in with are phones you couldn’t buy an thing food, drinks merch etc it came back on line around three in the afternoon by which time most had left just to be feed and watered. The park must have lost a fortune through this as they still wouldn’t accept cash even in these circumstances and it was quite a busy day. Given this last weeks hacking of M & S and them losing there affective cash less online side for a week I would think business such as zoo’s should think twice before going cashless and putting there revenues in the hands of machines out of there control and at the very least hold a cash back up plan should the unexpected happen to them.
 
How many guests would have had cash though? Having lived in the UK for 4 years, I don’t think I’ve used more than £70 in cash over that period
 
Lafone said:
For example, perhaps a more regular visitor to Beale than me can advise but I've seen cash on the gate there and cash POS though not in the cafe inside the zoo which is cashless. That's if you are ruling out visits only to zoos that remove cash inside the zoo but allow it on entry of course.
Click to expand...

I rarely use cash now myself, so I haven't noticed whether or not the gate or gift shop still take cash. There are signs about the cafe being cashless, but not anywhere else.

Joker22Hero said:
How many guests would have had cash though? Having lived in the UK for 4 years, I don’t think I’ve used more than £70 in cash over that period
Click to expand...

Although I rarely use it now, I do always carry cash with me as a back up in case something isn't working.
 
NMM said:
I rarely use cash now myself, so I haven't noticed whether or not the gate or gift shop still take cash. There are signs about the cafe being cashless, but not anywhere else.



Although I rarely use it now, I do always carry cash with me as a back up in case something isn't working.
Click to expand...

And those are the reasons i'm generally against placers going cashless. Faults,scams,fraud etec. You know where you are and how much you spend with cash.

And with zoo's it would really be great if they can absolutely clarify on their 'admissions' pages if cash is accepted In anything,zoo's should be clearer with anything. PS My apoligies if ii came across as niggly and cranky with my question. Just want zoo's to have clearer cash clarification. And yh,generally hate cashless societies. Sorry,no offence,Sweden
 
Maguari said:
As an aside, I think at this stage this is mostly because it allows them to plan staffing and car parking better - I'm not sure this is a card vs cash issue really, just that online booking obviously precludes cash by its nature. I like having this as an option but the days of it being a requirement everywhere were very wearisome - a group of us went on a week's zoo tour of the south west in 2021 and had to spend a whole evening just before we went booking all the zoos in in formation to make sure we all got in the same places on the same days...
Click to expand...
'Encouraging' pre-booking has no impact on staffing or car-parking issues or decisions. Requiring 100% pre-booking would/could, but otherwise not.
One (medium sized?) zoo I visited recently is now back to just 1/3 pre-booked and 2/3 'casuals' just turning up as per the 'old' days, having been 100% pre-booked immediately post-Covid.
Don't know about the cash/card balance though, I didn't ask.
 
ZooNews2024 said:
'
One (medium sized?) zoo I visited recently is now back to just 1/3 pre-booked and 2/3 'casuals' just turning up as per the 'old' days, having been 100% pre-booked immediately post-Covid.
Don't know about the cash/card balance though, I didn't ask.
Click to expand...

That is very refreshing to hear. I disliked all the 'booking essential' malarky though appreciated the reasons for it during the pandemic. What irked me was how long it continued being 'essential' at some places for such a long time afterward and how some places then grudgingly admitted (I asked on entry at a few zoos) that you could in fact pay on entry but didn't advertise it openly.
 
Pertinax said:
That is very refreshing to hear. I disliked all the 'booking essential' malarky though appreciated the reasons for it during the pandemic. What irked me was how long it continued being 'essential' at some places for such a long time afterward and how some places then grudgingly admitted (I asked on entry at a few zoos) that you could in fact pay on entry but didn't advertise it openly.
Click to expand...
Yes, that last part particularly I always thought rather odd. The only reason I could think of for stating something different on the web-sites could be to try to increase on-line bookings by inferring some kind of lack of availability on the gate on the day.
 
I use primarily cash and id definitely be in a bit of a pickle in the gift shop if they didn't take cash.
Though i usually pay my admission online in advance.
Does the Whipsnade gift shop take cash? Im going at the end of this month and never considered that might have to be something i plan for
 
I very rarely use card for anything as I continue as I have done throughout my adult life withdrawing cash from my bank account several times a week. I certainly would not wish to visit a cashless zoo on principle. In 2021 locally Sewerby Hall had a booking system but it was not compulsory whilst Filey Bird Garden did not have one at all. I have to confess I like the attitude of a pet shop in Scarborough that operates a £10 minimum for card transactions (Filey Bird Garden has a £3 minimum).
 
Pertinax said:
That is very refreshing to hear. I disliked all the 'booking essential' malarky though appreciated the reasons for it during the pandemic. What irked me was how long it continued being 'essential' at some places for such a long time afterward and how some places then grudgingly admitted (I asked on entry at a few zoos) that you could in fact pay on entry but didn't advertise it openly.
Click to expand...
Yes, indeed. I believe many of the ‘online essential booking’ requests is so zoo managers can organise zero hours ‘casual’ staff rota’s based upon projected guest numbers.
 
At the end of the day Zoos, as like any attraction / shop can accept what they want to accept. You sound a bit like those sorts of people who would try to pay with a commemorative £20 coin and say it’s “legal tender”.
 
I contacted 'tweeted' ZSL London Zoo for clarification and they 'confirmed' they accept CASH admission alongside other ways. But i'd still make sure in person at the gate
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top