# Will the pandemic end cash only businesses? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953 "2020-03-21T13:51:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/61 "2020-04-25T23:02:19Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > A lot of places have “no cash payments accepted” signs up. I haven’t seen a single one that says “cash only.” Where do you live? I live in Washington State, which was one of the first places to close down and looks like it has seen the worst of it. I can’t remember the last place outside of garage sales that was “cash only” even before the shutdowns, and “no cash” places were unusual but growing. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/62 "2020-04-25T23:32:43Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > Where do you live? I live in Washington State, which was one of the first places to close down and looks like it has seen the worst of it. I can’t remember the last place outside of garage sales that was “cash only” even before the shutdowns, and “no cash” places were unusual but growing. I’m in the other Washington, what we apparently are now calling the DMV. As I said in the OP, there are (or were) still some sole proprietorships—particularly small, independent convenience stores and small restaurants—that were still insisting on cash. I pay my lawn guy by check. I don’t think he has a Square. Same with my cleaning lady. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/63 "2020-04-27T05:22:31Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Doing business comes with costs. This is just a cost of doing business in the modern world. You just hike your prices to account for it. We are all paying more for food and household goods now anyway, because of demand and scarcity. Just add it into the transaction costs. In my opinion, anyone demanding cash only right now is doing a disservice to the public. But cash comes with its own costs. It’s not free, you know. Like you need to buy a safe to keep it in. Maybe an expensive, time-locked one, with slots for cashiers to empty over-full cash drawers into. (And that takes time away from the cashier serving customers.) Somebody in the back office has to spend time sorting, bundling, & counting cash for deposits, and then deliver it to the bank. And the bank charges you for depositing large amounts of cash. (Plus they charge you again for withdrawing cash & coins to have for making change. Banks \*always[/I]charge you.) Plus there’s the risk of being robbed if your business has a lot of cash. You may have to hire an expensive armored car service to deliver & remove your cash. you’ll have to eat some costs for the counterfeit currency passed to you, or else have your cashiers waste time checking every bill, and slowing down service to your customers. And deal with an increased amount of ‘shrinkage’ from dishonest cashiers who occasionally pocket some cash. Dealing with cash comes with its own set of problems. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/64 "2020-04-27T17:14:55Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > Where do you live? I live in Washington State, which was one of the first places to close down and looks like it has seen the worst of it. I can’t remember the last place outside of garage sales that was “cash only” even before the shutdowns, and “no cash” places were unusual but growing. The vice sector. Casinos, pot shops and often bars are/were cash only. Obviously, black market sales like sports gambling, home card games, drugs, stolen goods are cash. Many small independant restaurants are cash only. The tamale guy. The barber shop I used to visit. Roving vendors at the ballpark. Craigslist and flea market/swap meet buys can probably be lumped with your garage sale example. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/65 "2020-04-28T15:21:17Z")
I dunno if it’s still true with all the marijuana legalization – both medical and recreational – we have now, but when it first started a lot of vendors had trouble opening bank accounts, never mind taking credit or debit cards. Banks were nervous about the Feds looking over their shoulders when dealing with a business that they (the Feds) deemed still illegal. As **Tim** pointed out, cash has worries and expenses all its own like where to you keep the stuff safe from greedy people with guns and finding enough brief cases when you’re paying one of your suppliers. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/66 "2020-04-28T17:32:23Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > But cash comes with its own costs. It’s not free, you know. > > Like you need to buy a safe to keep it in. Maybe an expensive, time-locked one, with slots for cashiers to empty over-full cash drawers into. (And that takes time away from the cashier serving customers.) Somebody in the back office has to spend time sorting, bundling, & counting cash for deposits, and then deliver it to the bank. And the bank charges you for depositing large amounts of cash. (Plus they charge you again for withdrawing cash & coins to have for making change. Banks \*always[/I]charge you.) > > Plus there’s the risk of being robbed if your business has a lot of cash. You may have to hire an expensive armored car service to deliver & remove your cash. you’ll have to eat some costs for the counterfeit currency passed to you, or else have your cashiers waste time checking every bill, and slowing down service to your customers. And deal with an increased amount of ‘shrinkage’ from dishonest cashiers who occasionally pocket some cash. > > Dealing with cash comes with its own set of problems. Absolutely. Add to that the fact that the No. 1 use of American cash is to abet international crime. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/67 "2020-04-30T19:14:50Z")
It’s been awhile but I recall a sign in a BBQ joint: _“We made a deal with the bank. We don’t take checks or cards and they don’t cook.”_ It was the kind of place that would be unwise to rob so cash worked just fine there. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/68 "2020-04-30T19:45:19Z")
Interesting the Mexican place down the street that used to have a $10 minimum for cards (for $7-8) entrees is now cash only since the lockdown. They’ve been busted once by the revenue department. My guess is that they’re an actual money launder and not just avoiding turning over sales tax, the restaurant keeps the strangest hours for a place in that location. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/69 "2020-04-30T19:59:46Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Absolutely. Add to that the fact that the No. 1 use of American cash is to abet international crime. \<------Laughing. Hey, these are strange times. 4 months ago I would have been pretty outraged at the idea that I’m being called out on The Dope for running an international money laundering operation. Now? It is to laugh. ( Also, I’m broke, so what piles of $ 20’s??? ) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/70 "2020-04-30T20:13:11Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > \<------Laughing. > > Hey, these are strange times. 4 months ago I would have been pretty outraged at the idea that I’m being called out on The Dope for running an international money laundering operation. > > Now? It is to laugh. ( Also, I’m broke, so what piles of $ 20’s??? ) Who accused you of running an international money laundering operation? ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/71 "2020-05-27T13:41:58Z")
[The Bank of Canada is speaking up against cash-only businesses.](https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/bank-of-canada-urges-stores-to-continue-to-accept-cash-1.4956026) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/72 "2020-05-27T18:23:21Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > [The Bank of Canada is speaking up against cash-only businesses.](https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/bank-of-canada-urges-stores-to-continue-to-accept-cash-1.4956026) Your title here seems completely opposite what the article says! In it, the Bank of Canada is opposing businesses that refuse cash and only accept credit card or bank transfer payments. Their headline is: _Bank of Canada urges stores to continue to accept cash_. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953/73 "2020-05-28T04:02:21Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Your title here seems completely opposite what the article says! That’s what I get for posting before work:) I meant “speaking up against card-only businesses”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-pandemic-end-cash-only-businesses/849953.md?page=3)