Places that encourage cash increasing

[ItsAllAboutTheDosh]

I am finding more restaurants, bars and shops are encouraging cash payments due to the card payment costs. These are always independent places with the owner on site actively involved.
Just wondering if others are finding the same?
Although if you never or rarely go to small independent places that would be helpful to state. I find chains prefer card payments.

However as a customer I love Amex and use it everywhere I can for the cashback.

I'd be suspicious that restaurants and takeaways being cash only, are avoiding putting through all their sales. Doing that reduces their VAT bill and tax on profit.
It also means they have cash available to pay some staff cash in hand, avoiding employer national insurance contributions, sick pay, holiday pay etc.
Prior to the pandemic these businesses could expect enough cash transactions to easily hide some sales, while also accepting cards. Now, not so much.
And even if you get a receipt, it's not unknown for those businesses to have another till to create a different sales narrative.

Did you shop around for alternatives like you'd do for utilities, telecoms, etc??

Yes, that can still be the case. As an accountant, it's a PITA, as you say, because the amount reaching the bank account isn't the same as the sales value, so you have to do manual adjustments for their charges. or the bank, till or sales ledger doesn't balance. Luckily, some card processors include Amex and treat them the same as other cards, but they're more expensive processors generally, so more for higher value/niche type of businesses.

Round my way, cash or bank transfer payments are either tax avoidance or money laundering

The type of Vapez & Candy World, Felicias Nails or Loco Hair Salon are all obvious fronts