Starbucks don't take cash

[CoastalWave]

AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

Took DS yesterday for a treat after school with his birthday money. We only spent £8 but as he handed over his £10 we were told, sorry we don't take cash anymore, card payments only.

Is this just the start of the slippery slope down to a cashless society ?

Really annoyed me!

That's not at all the same thing...

I know of a totally cashless arcade right now been cashless for over 5 yrs now. Pushers are developing into virtual. weird I know but it is happening, you put money into a card machine, receive a card 🗿& you just tap it on the game of choice, no more cashing up ever week, that’s great for a start as it’s a very long day no moving or storing the stuff cleaner machines internally., horrible inside after a years work

No.
Charities do not have to buy card machines for the homeless because people will not carry cash, but charities have already chosen to do so for a few years, and the homeless have also bought their own.
This has helped with those who might get a donation from someone not carrying cash (but not those who use “I don’t have change” as an excuse instead of saying no)

Therefore as cash is carried less it’s an option and if it’s gone then the card reader remains …. Perhaps even someone might do something and people don’t need to beg in the street

Charities are buying cash machines for people selling Big Issue because they know they need to, because people refuse to carry cash. As if charities do not have enough things to spend their money on.

I like pushers, but I won't play if it is virtual. No fun. Fine if others want to.

Maybe the benefits outweight the costs

I'm sure they do, but they'd be a small minority, and we can't run things for outliers.

I don't know what your business is that you can't offer a cash option, but we can and do...

Larger businesses/organisations are usually better placed to make "reasonable adjustments" for the needs of minorities etc.

For example, wheelchair access to premises is not an automatic right everywhere. We're back to "reasonable adjustments". For a small shop accessed by a few steps, it's not "reasonable" to re-configure the entrance for a wheelchair, but obviously, Marks & Spencer have to provide such an access as it's more "reasonable" for a large store with more resources, greater space, easier to adapt an entrance, etc etc. The same applies with employment. A larger business/organisation will be expected to make "reasonable adjustments" for a disabled employee, whereas for a small one with physical restrictions of the smaller premises and financial restrictions "adjustments" may simply not be reasonable.

The opposite is probably true for cash. For a small shop, it may be a "reasonable adjustment" to accept cash from disabled customers, as the amounts involved are likely to be small, thus less cost of handling/banking/insurance etc. But for a large store chain, you'd be looking at huge changes in systems, software, etc to have dual handling/processing of cards AND cash which may be out of proportion to the benefit.

I.e. we're back to what's "reasonable" and only a court can ultimately decide if a business is making "reasonable" adjustments for disabled customers/staff or whether making alternative arrangements would be "unreasonable" given the circumstances of the cast.

Ironically smaller independent businesses tend to be far better at making reasonable adjustments than multinational chains. It is very rarely about money, it is more often about attitude.

So taking your example of wheelchair users, portable ramps are very cheap. It is also easy to bring goods to the door to show someone or allow a companion to do this. I have found many independent shops happily do this. It is the multinationals that are never so helpful.
And of course large shops can take cash. Additional cost is not a reason for a chain to refuse to make a reasonable adjustment. Courts would find that wholly proportionate.

Have you never booked attractions recently? Lots are now online booking only, so by default are card only. We went to a safari park a couple of months ago. Website clearly said advance online booking only. When we got to the park, instead of the usual roadside boxes with cashiers inside taking your money or checking your booking (which were all closed), there were a couple of people with ipads walking up and down the queue of cars scanning peoples' printouts or phone screens to check them in. There was no way of anyone paying in cash, and people without advance bookings were directed out of the queue via a slip road to park up, get online and book, and re-join the back of the queue.

That's not the only attraction either, we've been to others where there were people with ipads scanning screens/tickets, who likewise had no way of accepting cash payments from those in the queue.

I haven't been to anything that is online booking only. It may be in advance but there has always been a phone number given as well.

That would be a relevant point if you were somehow able to pay in cash over the phone....

But you can't pay by cash over the phone! You'd need a card!

And no, sometimes there isn't a phone booking option. When we went to Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam, it was online booking only. No "reception" or cashier desk when you get there either - the people on the door check your tickets/phone screen and then let you - no way of paying on the door, whether cash nor card! We had to book weeks in advance as each day is added approx 28 days hence and they get booked quickly, so you have to get online first thing every morning to have a hope of an admission ticket!

Just booked "Santa Special" train ride for our grandchildren - online only (and fully booked by 9am on the day tickets went on sale anyway from 6am!). So again, no "cash" option, nor any phone option.

we went to stockholm before covid and there were already lots of places that didnt take cash, and frm what i can gather it is more so now

sweden.se/life/society/a-cashless-society