Lawmakers React As More Retailers Say “No Cash”

The Wall Street Journal today looks at the growing number of retailers, some of them chain restaurants, that no longer accept cash. Lawmakers are starting to react.

Massachusetts is the only state that currently requires retailers to accept cash. Some New Jersey legislators are working to make their state next.

New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres of the Bronx recently proposed legislation that would prohibit retailers and restaurants from refusing cash, and city council members in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia have proposed similar legislation.

“I refuse to patronize businesses that reject cash payments, even though I primarily use debit or credit,” says Councilman Torres. He says not accepting cash is discriminatory against the undocumented, people without bank accounts and credit cards, and those who wish to have their transactions be more private. “It’s a humiliating situation.”

Two of the no-cash chains mentioned in the above-linked story, Sweetgreen and Dig Inn, have recently opened outlets on my block. In each of my visits, I witnessed dismay by unprepared customers. No paywall at the link.