> why the merchant fees? Convenience. Handling cash is risky and expensive. You have to pay someone to count it, take it to the bank, where it has to be counte

> why the merchant fees? Convenience. Handling cash is risky and expensive. You have to pay someone to count it, take it to the bank, where it has to be counted again, etc. That is time that has a cost. There is risk of loss or theft. That can be insured but there is a cost for that too. If you have to have an armored courier transport it, that has a cost. Bottom line, the merchant fees are probably not much more than, and in some cases less than the costs of handling cash.