Can a business refuse to take cash? Is it legal?

[AudTheDeepMinded]

DH is NOT happy. Our local pool will not accept cash and will only take card payment. He is very much cash over card, whereas I am card over cash. Since the Pandemic this is far more of a problem for him as he regularly forgets to take a debit card with him. I think today has demonstrated why he should have both on him! But, can a business actually refuse cold hard cash?

A lot of businesses have stopped accepting cash as it's safer for the staff, especially if there's only one person working, to not have cash on the premises to deter robberies.

I went to the bank a couple of years ago (pre covid) and one of the cashiers there was not accepting cash
which I thought was stupid in a bank

Homeless people will also struggle in a cashless society - they will struggle to collect cash donations if people are carrying less cash, then won’t be able to spend cash when they do get it. And this group are among those who won’t be able to get a bank account as they have no address.

I wonder what the implications would be of a cashless society. Children (and some adults) can't always connect the bibbing of a card to reducing the amount of money they have. Also, does it not make anyone feel uncomfortable that if we have no or little cash in circulation, we are then very vulnerable.

[quote queenmeadhbh]@AudTheDeepMinded I find it really funny for some reason that your DH has a bank card, and a wallet, but does not keep the former un the latter. Mind blown. Where does he keep it?! We must be told immediately. [/quote]
He keeps it in a little drawer beneath a shelf in the kitchen, with the passports!

To those who ask how he usually manages, we are often together so if cash is required he pays and if cards only I pay. Works very well!

To those arguing that very few people (comparatively) are affected by card only, I'm not sure discrimination laws work on scale?

@madmomma

I wonder what the implications would be of a cashless society. Children (and some adults) can't always connect the bibbing of a card to reducing the amount of money they have. Also, does it not make anyone feel uncomfortable that if we have no or little cash in circulation, we are then very vulnerable.

The implications for vulnerable people are there.

Homeless people couldn’t beg, or busk, for cash.
People trying to flee abuse couldn’t siphon off the odd £5 here and there did fares.
People with addictions or debts couldn’t take out their shopping money to keep separate.

Anyone with one account at one bank is vulnerable to another incident of like when one of the banks (NatWest?) went down for the weekend a couple of years ago and nothing worked.

Elderly and vulnerable people will be more vulnerable. If you give someone £20 to do your shopping and they steal it, it’s £20, but if they have your card…
it’ll also mean that people have to give out their cards - DH’s Granny puts out cash and whoever does her shopping takes it. There’s no way there could be 5/6 other cards on her account to cover all of us who take turns shopping for her.

I also think children will grow up with less understanding of cash when they can’t see it, count it and see exactly what they’re spending.

To those arguing that very few people (comparatively) are affected by card only, I'm not sure discrimination laws work on scale?

It never ceases to amaze me, how many organisations think the law doesn't apply to them!

it’ll also mean that people have to give out their cards - DH’s Granny puts out cash and whoever does her shopping takes it. There’s no way there could be 5/6 other cards on her account to cover all of us who take turns shopping for her

Not if you actually think about it. She leaves out the cash, whoever is shopping pays by their card and puts the cash equivalent into their purse or wallet. They are then free to pay the cash into their bank or keep it, as there are a lot of places that do accept cash still.

Older people tend to prefer cash I have found. My grandma takes her pension then spends her cash throughout the week. She doesn’t use her bank card if she can help it.
Tradesmen sometimes prefer cash because they are charged per transaction and some people fraudulently reverse the charges.

SequinnedShawl that requires extea good will and liquidity on the part of all her carers and helpers. Not every minimum wage carer or teen after school helpwr has enough money in their account at all times to absorb doing someone else's shopping before the cash has gone into their account.

On top of which a paid carwr might be doing the shopping for five or ten or fifteen clients a week. Expecting them to pay on their own card and put cash into their account next time they can get to a bank on their own time is unreasonable and impractical.

@SequinnedShawl

it’ll also mean that people have to give out their cards - DH’s Granny puts out cash and whoever does her shopping takes it. There’s no way there could be 5/6 other cards on her account to cover all of us who take turns shopping for her

Not if you actually think about it. She leaves out the cash, whoever is shopping pays by their card and puts the cash equivalent into their purse or wallet. They are then free to pay the cash into their bank or keep it, as there are a lot of places that do accept cash still.

Which is fine with family, but the paid carers can’t do that. They’re not allowed by the care agency/LA. They have to take the cash and spend only the cash.

Since preferring cash over cards, or even not having a bank account/debit card, isn't the exclusive province of any protected class of person, it's hard to see how you'd prove discrimination . . .

LetHimHaveIt have you read the whole thread to see which groups are discriminated against/ disadvantaged. Disability is a protected characteristic - people with learning/ cognitive disabilities are discriminated against.

Look - I'm not in favour of a cashless society. Far from it. The 'Big Issue' seller in my nearest city had, a few weeks ago, a tabard with 'Sumup' or 'iZettle' or something plastered all over it - but didn't have one. So I walked to HSBC to change a twenty. I also like to give cash to delivery drivers etc, and to family at Christmas. But to pretend that OP's husband is some sort of Norma Rae, is bloody absurd. We all know that argument. But he does have a bank card and a bank account. He just chooses to be an obstreperous arse.

@LetHimHaveIt

Look - I'm not in favour of a cashless society. Far from it. The 'Big Issue' seller in my nearest city had, a few weeks ago, a tabard with 'Sumup' or 'iZettle' or something plastered all over it - but didn't have one. So I walked to HSBC to change a twenty. I also like to give cash to delivery drivers etc, and to family at Christmas. But to pretend that OP's husband is some sort of Norma Rae, is bloody absurd. We all know that argument. But he does have a bank card and a bank account. He just chooses to be an obstreperous arse.

He thinks very highly of you too BTW.

He may, on occasions, be an obstreperous arse, but he is my obstreperous arse, and he has many many good points.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

LetHimHaveIt have you read the whole thread to see which groups are discriminated against/ disadvantaged. Disability is a protected characteristic - people with learning/ cognitive disabilities are discriminated against.

I don't have to 🙄 I know very well the arguments and, in my old job, argued extensively against UC because I knew my clients couldn't manage to budget a monthly payment rather than a weekly or even fortnightly one, if their lives depended on it.

'He thinks very highly of you too BTW.'

Good one. I love a hackneyed insult.

'He may, on occasions, be an obstreperous arse, but he is my obstreperous arse, and he has many many good points.'

I'm sure he does: so did my dad. And he was an obstreperous arse, too, and I don't think I've ever taken offence when anyone has said so. And he's dead.

@LetHimHaveIt

I've not taken offense, I'm sat here grinning at a good old frank exchange of views!

Fair enough. Evidently I'm being a bit of an obstreperous arse myself, this afternoon.

My business doesn't take cash, it never has and never will. It makes my taxes very easy to complete and there are zero bank branches anywhere near me for paying in now!

I see your cash only husband and I raise you my aunt and uncle who think everything is a virus and out to get them - covid and computer. They have fully isolated sonde the start of covid. They could be video chatting with the dds who they are very fond of frankly daily if they wanted to - but my uncle thinks a virus will jump out of the computer and destroy his laptop and drain his bank accounts. Ffs

@LetHimHaveIt
You're alright. I mostly agree with your side of the debate, but with sympathy for people that are genuinely disadvantaged.

@pastypirate you win! the pandemic has certainly crystallised the batshit among us.

I think they can TBH. We went for lunch out and there was a notice saying Card Payment Only. I try and take some change and a note or two .However they mostly accept Card Payment now (South Coast) .I imagine that a Cashless Society will be sooner than later .My DH is like yours ,hates that cash is no longer king .I welcome it ,Went by tube a couple of weeks ago .No queuing for an Oyster card now.Straight off with Debit Card .Same on the bus .No ton of coins /looking for the fight fare anymore .

LetHimHaveIt then I assume I misunderstood your post - going cashless surely is discrimination (hard to do much about enforcing in the case of small businesses, but council run facilities should do better).

Look whether anyone on here likes it or not.Cash is on the way out! A couple I spoke to at the bank said they "hate " computers and will continue with paper transactions /cash and so on .I think they are making life hard for themselves .They were older but not "old" as such . A friend /the bank /DC could help them ,but they were not interested .Its not the 60s /70s any more is it!