Cash means they need to have a (timed) safe and hire a company to securely pick up the takings, which adds a lot of cost, plus having cash makes you a target fo

Cash means they need to have a (timed) safe and hire a company to securely pick up the takings, which adds a lot of cost, plus having cash makes you a target for robbery. You can do it without, but that only increases the chance of robbery. Retailes charge a fee for digital payments because the payment provider charges them a fee, for example 25 cents + a percentage per transaction, + the cost or lease of the payment terminal and / or software; if it's small purchases like a drink or takeaway food, that's a significant percentage. Second, small retailers / sellers may prefer cash, because cash is untaxed as long as you don't log / report all your transactions. Basically, it's a mixed bag. Cash means you can avoid taxes if you don't digitally log / report all your sales, but it means you're a higher risk for robbery.