PAYING THE PRICE OF A CASHLESS ECONOMY.(Business)

Byline: MARLENE KENNEDY

If a replacement credit card comes in the mail, it will be the second one in a year's time. The second time my bank has scrambled to protect itself (and, oh yeah, me) from unauthorized charges after a retailer's payment system was compromised.

This time, grocer Hannaford was breached; last year, it was discounter TJX Cos.

My bank was quick before to send a new credit card, since it, not me, would have been on the hook for any charges. So I assume it will follow the same protocol this time.

To date, I've been lucky. But not so a colleague: Debit cards he and his wife used were canceled after their credit union in Baltimore (where they once lived) noticed $800 spent in several large transactions and contacted them last week. It …