AIBU to put up a sign encouraging customers to pay in cash?

A lot of ATMs round here add a charge to withdraw money. A lot of the free ones are randomly out of order.

I find this interesting - why would you be more likely to use it?

Personally I would be more likely to use your business if I saw a sign like this, although as someone suggested a simple "Cash preferred" sign might be better.

Lots of suppliers don't take cash anymore. Maybe your little Mrs Miggins making a few cookies in her kitchen will take cash, but the bigger suppliers, wholesalers, etc don't allow their van drivers to take cash due to the risk of loss, theft, fraud, robbery, etc.

Tell us how much it costs in bank charges to pay in £200k over the counter!!

Pay extra charges for ATM? I certainly never have.

The only way I’d pay cash was if you offered a discount for cash. Say what you will but there is no way people who are taking cash are not running two sets of books (unless they are dense). Given this, fine, whatever, but you need to share the saving with me.

So I must pay extra charges to withdraw cash from ATMs and drive for ages to find an ATM to supplement business owners wages? is that what you are saying?

Yeah....no. I am not doing that. Business owners need to factor in that cost when they are selling their items. It's isnt my responsibility to put myself out of pocket and at an inconvenience for business owners to make more money.

Besides, carrying cash around is a risk. You can cancel a card, you cant cancel cash.

Not if you are paying other people in cash rather than bunging it in a bank account

Yes there is To not pay card charges. Would you be happy to have 3% of your wages taken in " charges"

Yanbu to put the sign up; I see many like it in little businesses, but although I prefer to pay as many people in cash as possible, I don’t carry it day to day, so would still be card for me.

I would be pleased to see that sign. I get irritated by signs that say card payments only.

I understand your reasons OP but honestly I almost never carry cash and this would not change my behaviour.

So many banks have closed their branches and when I use cash machines when I am on my own I always have a bit of anxiety that someone could be watching/mug me so using cards just makes life easier.

Unless you are diddling the system then your sign is incorrect. Business bank accounts have fees for paying in cash, and you pay tax on that cash too. When you factor in time and mileage for doing the banking, cash fees are no less than card, unless you've not negotiated a decent card deal.

Not unreasonable and I wouldn’t be put off but I no longer carry cash. If it’s affecting you can you raise your prices by the equivalent amount you get charged? Like if you charge £30 for something make it £32? Most places I go to will ONLY take card now, it’s only personal services that seem to still take cash (hair salons, beauticians etc).

That would not bother me at all. I rarely go out but always make sure i have some cash.

I got into my local taxi firm a few weeks ago and the driver asked if it was cash. He set the meter at £3.50. My nephew tells me that for the same journey they set it at £4.50 beccause he usually pays by card. Go figure.

No I would also think it of businesses that encourage you to take cash rather than cards. Purely because getting cash out is a huge inconvenience now (banks are all closing and less and less ATMS) so if you are telling customers you prefer it there must be a reason.

It's getting harder and harder round here to find a functioning ATM that doesn't charge you for withdrawing money.

Yes businesses that SOLELY take cash. Not ones that just prefer it

Disagree. We all know that dodgy businesses run on cash and that money laundering is done this way. Its not a secret, its why you cant even pay a significant amount of cash into your own bank account now without questions being asked by the bank.

Someone telling me they would prefer I paid by cash every time would make me wonder if they were legit.

I'm not angry.

It only gives that impression to people with a dishonest mind. I don't automatically jump to a business " must be doing something wrong" if they prefer cash ( and OP says she still accepts cards) If it was strictly cash only it might be different

Its not tax (that potentially benefits the public). Its a fee ( that benefit the bank and their shareholders).

I would quite like a three percent pay rise!

I dont know why you are getting angry if you havent done anything wrong.

We are merely saying that asking for cash gives the impression you are trying to dodge tax. It doesnt necessarily mean you are doing it but people who are in fact dodging tax would ask for cash so you cant blame people for thinking it 🤷‍♀️

Well I can assure you it's all declared. If it wasn't the expenses that are paid with it couldn't be declared also

And I assume you never but anything on Amazon as the are the ones that avoid shitloads of tax

Another option is to have a minimum card spend. We've always set it at £5 and probably only lose a couple of sales a year. Most of the time people are happy to spend more, as we keep our prices competitive. We have a tab system where regulars often pay a fiver and keep it on there for future use.

Card only is all well and good, but when the technology fails, you don't have a back up. The council have been doing works around our shop for the past couple of years. We've had days where the internet and phone lines have just been totally down. If we were card only, we'd be closing up and losing a day's trade or sitting around twiddling our thumbs.