Ennis, Ireland's Information Age Town, is by now accustomed to being one step ahead of the rest of the State - and from this week its citizens may be the first to reject "electronic cash".

While there was some enthusiasm yesterday from young people for the project, retailers were already unhappy with the additional workload the card imposed.

Even the four companies running the trial - Visa, Telecom Eireann, AIB and Bank of Ireland - have lowered their sights. Gone is the talk of a "cashless society"; in are the quiet arguments for carrying electronic money in addition to coins and notes.

The two banks are issuing 10,000 "Visa Cash" cards similar to those for public telephones, and usable in phones, parking meters and a variety of shops. They are designed for transactions typically under £5.

Success here would bring significant benefits to the banks, both by reducing coin and note administration and security costs, and in reaching out to the estimated 38 per cent of Irish people who do not have bank accounts.

But while consumers will gain the convenience of not always having to carry the right change for vending machines and parking meters, there seem few other reasons for them to abandon cash.

Yesterday, some retailers complained that it took too long to process small transactions; one publican described the system as "totally impractical".

Another way the system helps the banks but not necessarily the consumer lies in its secure traceability. Unlike cash, each Visa Cash transaction can, in theory at least, be tracked - by the bank manager, the taxman, the Garda, an estranged spouse, or anyone else who can persuade the bank to reveal the details.