Credit Card Usage Is On The Rise, Even For Small Purchases

(CBS) -- Cash may no longer be king.

Credit cards, in the past, were primarily used for bigger purchase, but with a recent change to cashless businesses there is a trend of charging small purchases.

A California woman used her credit card to purchase a coffee and a doughnut, KPIX 5, a CBS affiliate in San Francisco reports.

"I can keep track of what I'm buying," said Megan Supina, about paying with a credit card.

Supina is among an increasing amount of people who are choosing credit cards over cash for most transactions - big or small.

Whether they swipe, tap, or pay by phone, a recent survey from creditcards.com found 17 percent of cardholders now use plastic for purchases under $5. That's up from just 11 percent last year.

And Bankrate found nearly 10 percent of consumers don't carry any cash at all.

One of the reasons is that a growing number of businesses and restaurants are choosing to go cashless. They also say accepting plastic only speeds-up service and creates a safer environment for employees.

Credits cards are a safe way to go.

And Creditcard.com's Matt Schulz points out paying with credit is safer for consumers too, because you can dispute charges on your card if there is a problem with a product or service. And if your card is hacked to stolen, you're protected from fraudulent changes.

Another plus? Credit card benefits

"You get points for travel…It adds up," said credit card user, Jay Deitcher.

But there are still people out there that prefer cash over card.

Cash user Richard Slade said many retailers require a minimum purchase when using a credit card and studies show people spend twice as much when paying with plastic.

Regardless of it all, experts say credit card use will continue to rise and so will the number of businesses no longer accepting cash.