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> Most restaurants and cafes don’t accept cash either although they are certainly free to do so. Ok, so I'm curious about this place where you live where most

> Most restaurants and cafes don’t accept cash either although they are certainly free to do so. Ok, so I'm curious about this place where you live where most restaurants don't accept cash, so here's a question: Let's say you enter the restaurant, eat the food and now you owe payment, but you don't have a credit card (maybe you didn't notice the "no cash" sign). Legal tender laws say that cash must be accepted as payment for all debts. So how can the restaurant refuse the cash? That only seems to be legal if the customer prepays for the food, which is not what happens in most restaurants (fast food restaurants notwithstanding). Is there a special exemption for restaurants where you live, or you don't have legal tender laws, or what's going on here?

alkonaut 4y ago
> Ok, so I'm curious about this place where you live where most restaurants don't accept cash This is in Sweden. > Legal tender laws say that cash must be accepted as payment for all debts. Yes. But those apparently aren’t absolute and non-negotiable. The Riksbank is actually concerned about this, because it’s affecting the ability for the economy to function in a crisis, as well as the ability to make anonymous transactions, so there might be changes to this coming. (In English:) https://www.riksbank.se/en-gb/payments--cash/payments-in-sweden/payments-report-2021/3.-the-riksbanks-work-and-policy/the-position-of-cash-as-legal-tender-needs-strengthening/further-political-decisions-are-required-to-safeguard-the-entire-cash-infrastructure-and-cash-as-a-means-of-payment/ https://www.riksbank.se/en-gb/payments--cash/payments-in-swe... But basically today no, there is nothing forcing any business to accept cash today. And as cash use dwindled, the cost of cash handling ballooned to the point where it’s worth swallowing the card fees over paying for cash management. There is also a very widespread cell phone transfer system both for free instant transfers between individuals and for payments. So it’s a widely accepted convenience. Cash is one of those systems now that everyone agrees should remain for privacy and resilience reasons but few are ready to use it. Forcing everyone to accept cash would mean having lots of cash handling expenses (cash registers etc) but still likely almost no cash in circulation. It’s part of the reason the riksbank is eying a CDBC with privacy features. And yes if you travel to Sweden and order a meal at a restaurant you’ll probably always get away with cash if that is all you have (that is - they’d sort it out but in certain places it might be a bit awkward). But if you asked first they might say they “prefer card”. But pre-paid situations (e.g ordering a coffee to go) will often show a no cash sign. The opposite is always true, you’ll never need cash. If you take a taxi it’s card only, nearly no transactions between individuals (used goods, babysitter, beggar(!)…) are cash either. In total though, the death of cash isn’t that widespread 8-9 of 10 retailers still accepts cash. It’s mostly in smaller shops, cafes and similar services you don’t see it (and taxi have been cash free for more than a decade). (In Swedish) https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/9-av-10-svenska-handlare-tar-fortsatt-emot-kontanter-som-betalmedel?publisherId=1718444&releaseId=3326689 https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/9-av-10-svenska-handlare-t... However, that a retailer accepts cash doesn’t mean it’s convenient to use. For example in a large grocery store a small number of checkouts might accept cash meaning you’ll be waiting in line to pay with cash - so few will.
- nottorp 4y ago
  > This is in Sweden. Does Sweden accept Visa/MC or they have some weird local card in most places? Just checking in case i ever play the tourist in Sweden. Had trouble in NL.
  - alkonaut 4y ago
    Visa/MC accepted everywhere. We also have a domestic mobile payment system but you wouldn’t need that.
Canada 4y ago
> Ok, so I'm curious about this place where you live where most restaurants don't accept cash I've encountered this from the Bay Area to Bangkok. It's a thing. That bar, or that Starbucks or whatever is card only/electronic payment only.

alkonaut 4y ago

> Ok, so I'm curious about this place where you live where most restaurants don't accept cash This is in Sweden. > Legal tender laws say that cash must be accepted as payment for all debts. Yes. But those apparently aren’t absolute and non-negotiable. The Riksbank is actually concerned about this, because it’s affecting the ability for the economy to function in a crisis, as well as the ability to make anonymous transactions, so there might be changes to this coming. (In English:) https://www.riksbank.se/en-gb/payments--cash/payments-in-sweden/payments-report-2021/3.-the-riksbanks-work-and-policy/the-position-of-cash-as-legal-tender-needs-strengthening/further-political-decisions-are-required-to-safeguard-the-entire-cash-infrastructure-and-cash-as-a-means-of-payment/ https://www.riksbank.se/en-gb/payments--cash/payments-in-swe... But basically today no, there is nothing forcing any business to accept cash today. And as cash use dwindled, the cost of cash handling ballooned to the point where it’s worth swallowing the card fees over paying for cash management. There is also a very widespread cell phone transfer system both for free instant transfers between individuals and for payments. So it’s a widely accepted convenience. Cash is one of those systems now that everyone agrees should remain for privacy and resilience reasons but few are ready to use it. Forcing everyone to accept cash would mean having lots of cash handling expenses (cash registers etc) but still likely almost no cash in circulation. It’s part of the reason the riksbank is eying a CDBC with privacy features. And yes if you travel to Sweden and order a meal at a restaurant you’ll probably always get away with cash if that is all you have (that is - they’d sort it out but in certain places it might be a bit awkward). But if you asked first they might say they “prefer card”. But pre-paid situations (e.g ordering a coffee to go) will often show a no cash sign. The opposite is always true, you’ll never need cash. If you take a taxi it’s card only, nearly no transactions between individuals (used goods, babysitter, beggar(!)…) are cash either. In total though, the death of cash isn’t that widespread 8-9 of 10 retailers still accepts cash. It’s mostly in smaller shops, cafes and similar services you don’t see it (and taxi have been cash free for more than a decade). (In Swedish) https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/9-av-10-svenska-handlare-tar-fortsatt-emot-kontanter-som-betalmedel?publisherId=1718444&releaseId=3326689 https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/9-av-10-svenska-handlare-t... However, that a retailer accepts cash doesn’t mean it’s convenient to use. For example in a large grocery store a small number of checkouts might accept cash meaning you’ll be waiting in line to pay with cash - so few will.

nottorp 4y ago
> This is in Sweden. Does Sweden accept Visa/MC or they have some weird local card in most places? Just checking in case i ever play the tourist in Sweden. Had trouble in NL.
- alkonaut 4y ago
  Visa/MC accepted everywhere. We also have a domestic mobile payment system but you wouldn’t need that.

Canada 4y ago

> Ok, so I'm curious about this place where you live where most restaurants don't accept cash I've encountered this from the Bay Area to Bangkok. It's a thing. That bar, or that Starbucks or whatever is card only/electronic payment only.