I don't disagree with you that there are such merchants. I'm just wondering whether that case would be as common in a world where card networks hadn't put their

I don't disagree with you that there are such merchants. I'm just wondering whether that case would be as common in a world where card networks hadn't put their thumb on the scale. Merchant cash handling costs will be (proportionally) higher when cash payments are rare. And that situation is more likely in a world where card networks have conspired to ensure that customers receive little benefit from paying in cash, and just don't carry it anymore.