CASH is king at a Leigh café, where customers are being offered a discount if they ditch card payments as part of a new promotion. 

Maz Radford, owner of Café Vino in Elm Road, is offering a ten per cent discount to customers who choose to pay with cash and help her avoid “unpalatable” bank charges. 

The business owner is aiming to reinvest the money she saves into improving the popular venue even further. 

Maz, who opened the café in 2022, believes it is a “win-win” situation for both her and her customers. 

She said: “When people pay with cash, we get 100 per cent of the value. But if they pay by card, the banks take a percentage.

“By offering customers ten per cent off, it stops the banks making even more money and it obviously gives something back to our diners, too. Hopefully, it’ll also help bring in new customers.

“Instead of giving money to the bank, I’d rather invest it in my business.”

Maz, 41, says she does her “utmost” to pay with cash when visiting independent business, as she is aware of the impact of transaction fees.

She added: “I agree to a certain extent that ‘cash is king’, but I do use my card if I’m going to the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Costa.”

Maz says diners have reacted positively to her initiative.

She added: “I’ve got no qualms about telling customers why we’re offering the discount. I say, ‘if you give me £10 in cash, I get £10. But if you use your card, I get about £9’.

“They’re happy with that, because they get a deal too. It’s a win-win.

“When you’re running a small business, you need to try and make as much money as you can to pay the bills.

“If we are heading for a cashless society, I think banks need to have a look at how much they charge to make it a bit more palatable for small businesses.”

Café Vino opened in August 2022, when the former manager at Leigh’s Smack pub decided to set up her own business.

It offers private hires, psychic nights, and even cigar nights in the cafe’s garden.

The cafe serves a selection of coffee and cake alongside a variety of wines, offering something “unique” to the town.

Maz added: “My mum and dad don’t drink but they do like coffee shops. I like to drink but I might not want coffee. So, I wanted to create somewhere we could both enjoy. I try to make it feel like a home from home.”