Paying in Cash in Boutiques during Pandemic
- Thread starter OuiCestLaVie
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It’s quite interesting to know that even different H boutiques have different forms of payment accepted!
H in Toronto (Bloor) doesn’t accept cash anymore even before pre-Covid. Only debit and credit. No phone payments either even if by credit card. It makes it really challenging for people like me who doesn’t have any H boutiques close by.
H in Toronto (Bloor) doesn’t accept cash anymore even before pre-Covid. Only debit and credit. No phone payments either even if by credit card. It makes it really challenging for people like me who doesn’t have any H boutiques close by.
Apparently Covid has changed things, but all the NYC stores have cash counting machines so they must get enough cash to warrant that.
T
the_black_tie_diyer
I'm all for cash. No cash sign = no business from me, with only (very) few exceptions. I always want to have the choice.
But that is just plain tacky. Who would post video(s) of an SA counting cash, from a cash purchase?
This world is doomed.
Kind regards,
Oliver
But that is just plain tacky. Who would post video(s) of an SA counting cash, from a cash purchase?
This world is doomed.
Kind regards,
Oliver
Cash is such a germ magnet....I wouldn't touch it unless I had to, so debit/credit card it is for me, even if my store was accepting cash during the height of this pandemic.
All U.S. Hermes boutiques that I know of have cash counting equipment. Usually, it's the foreigners who pay with stacks of cash -- I have seen this many times.
Are casino earnings still in cash in the U.S.? I remember hearing some time ago that Vegas stores are very uses to accepting cash.
@dariasouvorova you have two options with Schwab, buy a money order for the amount (assuming, say, the USPS takes cash these days) or get a friend to write you a check for the amount and then deposit the check using mobile deposit, if you have that set up. Incidentally, the no cash deposits policy is why I avoid Schwab myself.
T
the_black_tie_diyer
If I may, I'd like to point out one thing. The idea of a card being germ free might work out if its used only via NFC/ without any physical contact. The second you swipe it, push it into a reader or hand it to someone - you never know what germs transferred from cards previously used or from the person using it. Is a card - per se - easier to keep clean/ disinfect it, absolutely.
We in Germany have insurance cards used at the doctor, the personell won't touch them. You have to push them into the reader yourself, with all the risk, catching something from previous patients via card, entirely on yourself.
I know, we all have different opinions on issues like this, they are all valid. I do not contest your reasoning behind not using cash.
Kind regards,
Oliver
There is a money laundering aspect to large use of cash payments. Not applicable to a store like Hermes but other luxury stores (jewelry) might be subject to it. Canada also has cash counting machines.
From what I know, you cannot legally refuse tender. You can say your prefer to accept "cards only" but legally if someone wants to pay cash, the sale cannot be turned down.
That’s not true. Someone (a politician I think) made a pretty popular Tweet with that point when the pandemic started and businesses were refusing cash, but was quickly disproven by multiple sources. If you Google “is it legal to refuse cash” you will find some good write ups that clear it up! And here are some notes from official government agencies
Is it legal for a business in the United States to refuse cash as a form of payment?
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington DC.
www.federalreserve.gov
I don't live in the U.S but I'll give those a read.That’s not true. Someone (a politician I think) made a pretty popular Tweet with that point when the pandemic started and businesses were refusing cash, but was quickly disproven by multiple sources. If you Google “is it legal to refuse cash” you will find some good write ups that clear it up! And here are some notes from official government agencies
Is it legal for a business in the United States to refuse cash as a form of payment?
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington DC.www.federalreserve.gov
I don’t disagree with you, although I try to do ApplePay / touchless whenever I can. I still think that cash tends to collect more grime, since it actually exchanges hands — most of the times when I pay with a card, it is not touched by another person. It is also easier to sanitize a card.
Many business on the U.S. have gone cashless because the cost of handling cash (collecting and depositing)is frequently higher than paying the credit card processing fee. I certainly understand where they come from. In the U.S., it can cause issues for the so-called underbanked population (people who may not be able to get a bank account), but it was becoming increasingly more common even before the pandemic.
Personally, I prefer using a card. I only ever keep cash on me for tips (e.g., at the hair salon). Every time I go to Europe / UK and visit more businesses that need cash, I find it very annoying to be dealing with coins and cash. But if you prefer using cash, go for it. I wouldn’t want to go to a jewelry store or to Hermes to get a Birkin with a pile of cash though.
OP is in the US so that’s the one most relevant to the thread topic. But yeah obviously laws vary by country so searching with “is it legal to refuse cash in [country]” is a better idea. I think generally though “legal tender” is not the same as “private business refusing to accept it is illegal” due to the way it’s actually defined using the idea of “debt”. It’s also how certain places can reject some notes (eg a bus not allowing big notes)
I'm in the UK and the only cash I have with me is really just small amounts, like if I see a homeless person and give them a few quid for a meal, even before I hardly ever used cash, if your cards get stolen, you are insured, if your cash is gone, it's gone. Plus walking around with a wad of cash makes me super nervous. Cards offer so much additional protection...
Yeah, I see the OP said they were planning on shopping in D.C but that's not the title of this thread. There are a few other posters from other countries that have weighed in. But thanks for the Google info.