Birdhouse's move to strictly card payments has been welcomed by guests, with 97 per cent of the business's prior transactions paid using Eftpos.

Manager Jacson Somerville said "it's just the way society is moving", while acknowledging that businesses across major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne have introduced similar policies.

"I might even say it here that in 10 years time, we could be accepting crypto payments," he said.

"I feel like once other businesses see that we're doing it now that, it will give them the kind of the confidence to go and do it themselves."

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Most businesses across Wagga had enforced or encouraged patrons to use their cards during COVID-19, making it safer for both staff and workers.

Mr Somerville said that during that time, the efficiency of customer transitions had noticeably improved, prompting a decision to make the policy permanent.

"When the bar is really busy, it makes it easier because instead of having five bartenders trying to work two tills, it's just simple 'tap and go'," he said.

"We've had a pretty good response from it so far as well, and we're trying to pioneer it here in Wagga because Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra are already doing it."

Birdhouse received some backlash on their Facebook page following the announcement, with one commenter going as far as to say '[you've] lost my patronage'.

"Some people are just set in their ways. They're used to doing something for a particular amount of time, and they feel as though that has been taken away from them," Mr Somerville said.

"But it's a new era that they're going to have to try and learn."

"The fact that there are no other establishments that are doing it as of yet doesn't mean that they won't."

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