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posted by takyon on Tuesday March 12 2019, @07:17AM   Printer-friendly
from the cashless-grab dept.

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

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 theĀ 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 theĀ 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.


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  • (Score: 2) by Pino P on Wednesday March 13 2019, @03:33PM (2 children)

    by Pino P (4721) on Wednesday March 13 2019, @03:33PM (#813766) Journal

    But some people think it's not worth the hassle to take cash.

    What suggestion do cashless shopkeepers make for marginalized shoppers to pay cashless shopkeepers for goods and services, particularly once "somewhere else" also becomes cashless?

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  • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Wednesday March 13 2019, @06:07PM (1 child)

    by isostatic (365) on Wednesday March 13 2019, @06:07PM (#813844) Journal

    As with many things, it's a balance of rights.

    One solution for your problem would be the government operating some form of pre-paid system - you pay the government $50, they give you a $50 card, you take that to stores and spend.

    You could either fund this from taxation (socialism! OH NOES!!!), or have the government charge a convienience fee.

    The government would not be able to discriminate, it would be open to anyone with legal tender.

    This way the shop keeper is not forced to do something

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:19PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:19PM (#813951)

      I'm sure everyone would feel better with a clear set of rules for doing business than having the state directly involved.