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Sorry Amazon: Philadelphia bans cashless stores
This week, Philadelphia's mayor signed a bill that would ban cashless retail stores, according to The Morning Call. The move makes Philadelphia the first major city to require that brick-and-mortar retail stores accept cash. Besides Philadelphia, Massachusetts has required that retailers accept cash since 1978, according to CBS.
The law takes effect July 1, and it will not apply to stores like Costco that require a membership, nor will it apply to parking garages or lots, or to hotels or rental car companies that require a credit or debit card as security for future charges, according to the Wall Street Journal. Retailers caught refusing cash can be fined up to $2,000.
Amazon, whose new Amazon Go stores are cashless and queue-less, reportedly pushed back against the new law, asking for an exemption. According to the WSJ, Philadelphia lawmakers said that Amazon could work around the law under the exemption for stores that require a membership to shop there, but Amazon told the city that a Prime membership is not required to shop at Amazon Go stores, so its options are limited.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday March 12 2019, @11:10AM (1 child)
It's no problem. The poor can always shoplift instead.
I have been musing lately about a return to barter, myself. "Take your 11% sales tax now, Mr. Mayor Muthafucka." "If you want 30% of my Cheerios, you can come down here and collect it yourself, Pelosi. Oops, sorry, pissed in them first..."
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 12 2019, @06:13PM
For small transactions, you can not only barter, but you can pay with green backs (aka "cash").
It is convenient. Untraceable. The receiver may or may not report it as income, but that is not your business.
I've seen instances of small businesses where you could come in, buy something, pay cash. The owner doesn't ring it up, you walk out of the store. He pockets the cash. The transaction was off the books. Especially if it is a food place, this small reduction of inventory is also untraceable.
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