Shrap | About us

Like many of the best things in life, our story starts with friendship and community.

Chris and James were paying with cash at their local pub when they received a large amount of change in low-denomination coins. Realising that they were unlikely to re-use the coins, they spoke with the landlord who confirmed it: the pub continuously paid to bring in coins to be given as change, mostly never to be seen again.

They knew there had to be a better way... a way for cash to exist without the hassle and expense, the financial and environmental costs, the general waste of 'shrapnel'.

So they started building Shrap, the simple alternative to coins.

Shrap founders, Chris Forero-Slee and James Cummins

Shrap supports cash use in local communities.

Supporting the future of cash and community

With close ties to their local community, Chris and James knew the ongoing importance of cash to local people and businesses. They also saw the challenges facing cash: the closure of bank branches and ATMs, the rising fees for businesses, the inefficiencies and environmental impact.

It was clear that something had to be done. This was confirmed by the Access to Cash Review, which warned that millions of people across the UK who use cash could soon be unable to access or pay with it.

Read the Access to Cash Report

Changing the world, one coin at a time...

A solution was needed to make it more economical for cash to be processed and distributed, to make it easier for 'small change' to be recirculated. The service needed to incorporate the efficiency and convenience of digital, while retaining the key features of physical currency: freedom, anonymity and accessibility.

After building a small team, Shrap embraced the challenge. And ever since, we have been focused on making cash more efficient and convenient by removing the need for low-denomination coins, while preserving the qualities of cash that communities value.