# CC rewards programs - bill footed by poor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 30, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907 "2023-11-30T16:20:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907/41 "2023-12-11T14:04:52Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > But then the stores would have to send someone to the bank to store the cash - probably an armored truck since all their business would be done in cash now. They’d pay for the armored truck by raising prices which disproportionately impacts the poor. Exactly ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907/42 "2023-12-11T14:13:02Z")
In this thread and the one that spawned it, several people have pointed out that there are costs involved in accepting cash. Yes, that’s true, and worth remembering. But the costs involved in handling cash vary according to the type and size of the business, and they scale differently than the costs of taking credit cards. When businesses that I patronize charge different amounts for cash vs. credit, I have to assume that they have a better idea than I do how much each costs them. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907/43 "2023-12-11T14:54:35Z")
I always want to laugh when people talk about armored car services , especially when it’s a conversation about stores that either don’t accept credit cards or that have a minimum charge amount . Sure , a large store might use an armored car service to get cash to the bank - but that doesn’t mean a independent neighborhood hardware or convenience or dollar store does. Those stores often pay their suppliers in cash for all sorts of reasons - one of them is to get the cash out of the store. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907/44 "2023-12-13T20:40:12Z")
When I worked at McDonald’s many, many years ago, the closing manager would deposit the cash in the night drop at a bank. She’d usually have one of us follow her for security. This wasn’t some inconsiderable amount of cash, either. On a separate note, this year I volunteered to handle dues for my HOA board, figuring it would be much easier than dealing with lawn and snow contracts. Holy crap, accepting checks is a pain in the butt and more time consuming than I could have ever imagined. If I were a business owner, my time would be worth a _lot_ more than handling these things, and I’d sure as heck refuse to accept checks. Although, to be fair, I don’t imagine that a lot of customers really want to write them anymore. (Given our low dues, it’s not economically viable to set up an electronic process for a once-per-year dues payment.) ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907/45 "2023-12-26T12:51:27Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > When I worked at McDonald’s many, many years ago, the closing manager would deposit the cash in the night drop at a bank. She’d usually have one of us follow her for security. This wasn’t some inconsiderable amount of cash, either. I was going to say exactly that. At the pizza joint I worked in High School, two people would walk one block to the bank’s night deposit. I assume that’s still a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907/46 "2024-01-09T02:42:39Z")
I did that when I worked in a second hand bookstore. ETA: did not realize thread was zombie. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907/47 "2024-01-09T11:00:20Z")
> [@bump](#): > > So why in the world in that situation would you ever use that credit card? Nobody would- you run the risk of forgetting about it and you have to pay it off later, both of which aren’t an issue with a debit card or cash. I missed this last month. Using debit has the risk of locking your entire bank account if the card is compromised, denying access to your own money. A locked CC just keeps you from borrowing the bank’s money. And paying it off slightly later for no added cost is a benefit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cc-rewards-programs-bill-footed-by-poor/993907.md?page=2)