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I use cash (USD) almost exclusively for small transactions. It's still the best way to pay if you care about anonymity and privacy.

paulddraper 1y ago
Same. Plus I can tip easily, split bills, not have to worry about internet connections, etc
- georgeecollins 1y ago
  I think you spend less if you pay cash because you see the money.
  - cheema33 1y ago
    > I think you spend less if you pay cash because you see the money. This may be true for some people. Doesn't work for me at all. I see the money equally in digital and print formats.
  - BobaFloutist 1y ago
    Nah, once the cash has left my bank account I see it as already gone and spend it freely.
    - cosmic_cheese 1y ago
      Same. If it doesn't show up in my bank or savings balances it's effectively already spent.
- jerlam 1y ago
  My credit cards, both the physical ones and the ones on my phone, work without an internet connection. Cash "just works" until you run out, or have too large denominations that people refuse. And there are more stores now that don't take cash at all.
  - olyjohn 1y ago
    Well turns out that even with cash, you can still carry your debit card, just in case... Good God it really isnt that big of a deal to carry cash.
    - jerlam 1y ago
      Getting cash is usually the issue, I don't get paid in cash and I have to make a special trip to get it.
  - paulddraper 1y ago
    Really? I’ve had multiple places not able to accept credit cards due to internet issues. Literally had that last week. (Library, they had to call me later for payment.)
    - polotics 1y ago
      Accepting an offline transaction is at the discretion of the merchant, a payment terminal is going to be able to certify that a payment card is genuine, however as the issuer of the credit card may have the card reported stolen in its database, the merchant takes the risk of fraud in card-theft cases. So if as a merchant you have a well-known customer in front of you, you can still do the sale. Every acquirer can configure this to be more or less lenient for each issuer, and the tendency has been to be less and less lenient.
      - paulddraper 1y ago
        That makes sense, because I have paid in remote areas (no internet) before, thanks.
  - jjav 1y ago
    > My credit cards, both the physical ones and the ones on my phone, work without an internet connection. Of course not. I guess you haven't been to shops that say their network is down, so it's cash-only until it comes back online. It used to be shops had those credit card imprint sliders to handle payments when phones lines were down, but nobody has those anymore (many credit cards don't even have the raised numbers anymore).
- robocat 1y ago
  Cash also helps staff (tips) and small business owners avoid taxes (assuming they don't declare cash). Obviously depends a bit on your own morals regarding taxation. Although tips won't be taxed, that only affects federal taxes, starts 2026 and finishes 2028 (amongst other limitations).
- paulddraper 1y ago
  One more advantage: A number of random places will charge extra for a credit card. Not a lot, of course. But something.
CiscoCodex 1y ago
Just today I listened to an article from NPR talking about some sort settlement involving small businesses and credit card vendors. I want to support my local business and not have them pay the credit card charges. But the convenience of carrying around just one card vs various bills and coins is hard to give up. I’m curious, how do you personally handle change specially small currency like pennies and nickels?
- olyjohn 1y ago
  Keep it in my pocket until I get home. Stick it in a jar. It becomes a little fun or emergency money. I find that using cash, I tend to not buy dumb little things as I'm out and about and don't actually carry change around all that often.
- cmurf 1y ago
  We may need to help them by looking at the POS interface and make sure they're using/requesting debit for debit cards. I suspect the POS defaults to credit. But I've never looked at any of the interfaces. I know US Postal Service somehow detects my card is debit and then requests a debit transaction because the credit card pad asks for a PIN not a signature. So maybe some POS have an autodetect option. (See also my other comment)
- Rediscover 1y ago
  Cash-only here. I have not (generally) accepted pennies since the mid 1980's. Many of the local places (Seattle - Belltown & the Market) are cool with rounding transactions to the nearest dollar, so that helps. It might also be part of being an active participant in the local society.
- SchemaLoad 1y ago
  I don't use cash anymore, but if I still was. I'd just chuck them all in a tub and every now and then dump them in the coin counting deposit machine at the bank to get notes back.
  - baubino 1y ago
    I use cash still and this is exactly what I do with my coins. I have a huge vase that I keep all my coins in. Years ago, I used to convert the coins to bills maybe once or twice per year when the vase filled up now. I use cash so infrequently now (and also usually get change rounded to the nearest dollar) that it’s been several years since the last dump and the vase hasn’t filled up yet.
Ferret7446 1y ago
I wonder why companies don't scan cash as part of fraud prevention. (You do know that all bills have unique serial numbers I hope)
- conorcleary 1y ago
  The 'scan' part would be OCR with errors or humans with errors How many shops actually use the fake bill checker device?
roncesvalles 1y ago
It's funny how crypto became branded as "decentralized" when actually it's the exact opposite. Every single transaction ever made is recorded onto a single central ledger. It's not even anonymous; pseudonymity (your wallet address) is not anonymity. It is in fact cash that is decentralized and anonymous. If I go into a dark alley and give you a $100 bill, there is not a single soul other than you and me who knows about the transaction that took place.
- mmooss 1y ago
  Cash eventually passes through banks: Can't the read the serial numbers, and pretty easily at this point? It's not like tracking credit card or Venmo transactions, but if you take out $500 and give it to someone who deposits it, and if they read the serial numbers, it's clear what happened.
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- conorcleary 1y ago
  Crypto tornados for rough anonymization

paulddraper 1y ago

Same. Plus I can tip easily, split bills, not have to worry about internet connections, etc

georgeecollins 1y ago
I think you spend less if you pay cash because you see the money.
- cheema33 1y ago
  > I think you spend less if you pay cash because you see the money. This may be true for some people. Doesn't work for me at all. I see the money equally in digital and print formats.
- BobaFloutist 1y ago
  Nah, once the cash has left my bank account I see it as already gone and spend it freely.
  - cosmic_cheese 1y ago
    Same. If it doesn't show up in my bank or savings balances it's effectively already spent.
jerlam 1y ago
My credit cards, both the physical ones and the ones on my phone, work without an internet connection. Cash "just works" until you run out, or have too large denominations that people refuse. And there are more stores now that don't take cash at all.
- olyjohn 1y ago
  Well turns out that even with cash, you can still carry your debit card, just in case... Good God it really isnt that big of a deal to carry cash.
  - jerlam 1y ago
    Getting cash is usually the issue, I don't get paid in cash and I have to make a special trip to get it.
- paulddraper 1y ago
  Really? I’ve had multiple places not able to accept credit cards due to internet issues. Literally had that last week. (Library, they had to call me later for payment.)
  - polotics 1y ago
    Accepting an offline transaction is at the discretion of the merchant, a payment terminal is going to be able to certify that a payment card is genuine, however as the issuer of the credit card may have the card reported stolen in its database, the merchant takes the risk of fraud in card-theft cases. So if as a merchant you have a well-known customer in front of you, you can still do the sale. Every acquirer can configure this to be more or less lenient for each issuer, and the tendency has been to be less and less lenient.
    - paulddraper 1y ago
      That makes sense, because I have paid in remote areas (no internet) before, thanks.
- jjav 1y ago
  > My credit cards, both the physical ones and the ones on my phone, work without an internet connection. Of course not. I guess you haven't been to shops that say their network is down, so it's cash-only until it comes back online. It used to be shops had those credit card imprint sliders to handle payments when phones lines were down, but nobody has those anymore (many credit cards don't even have the raised numbers anymore).
robocat 1y ago
Cash also helps staff (tips) and small business owners avoid taxes (assuming they don't declare cash). Obviously depends a bit on your own morals regarding taxation. Although tips won't be taxed, that only affects federal taxes, starts 2026 and finishes 2028 (amongst other limitations).
paulddraper 1y ago
One more advantage: A number of random places will charge extra for a credit card. Not a lot, of course. But something.

CiscoCodex 1y ago

Just today I listened to an article from NPR talking about some sort settlement involving small businesses and credit card vendors. I want to support my local business and not have them pay the credit card charges. But the convenience of carrying around just one card vs various bills and coins is hard to give up. I’m curious, how do you personally handle change specially small currency like pennies and nickels?

olyjohn 1y ago
Keep it in my pocket until I get home. Stick it in a jar. It becomes a little fun or emergency money. I find that using cash, I tend to not buy dumb little things as I'm out and about and don't actually carry change around all that often.
cmurf 1y ago
We may need to help them by looking at the POS interface and make sure they're using/requesting debit for debit cards. I suspect the POS defaults to credit. But I've never looked at any of the interfaces. I know US Postal Service somehow detects my card is debit and then requests a debit transaction because the credit card pad asks for a PIN not a signature. So maybe some POS have an autodetect option. (See also my other comment)
Rediscover 1y ago
Cash-only here. I have not (generally) accepted pennies since the mid 1980's. Many of the local places (Seattle - Belltown & the Market) are cool with rounding transactions to the nearest dollar, so that helps. It might also be part of being an active participant in the local society.
SchemaLoad 1y ago
I don't use cash anymore, but if I still was. I'd just chuck them all in a tub and every now and then dump them in the coin counting deposit machine at the bank to get notes back.
- baubino 1y ago
  I use cash still and this is exactly what I do with my coins. I have a huge vase that I keep all my coins in. Years ago, I used to convert the coins to bills maybe once or twice per year when the vase filled up now. I use cash so infrequently now (and also usually get change rounded to the nearest dollar) that it’s been several years since the last dump and the vase hasn’t filled up yet.

Ferret7446 1y ago

I wonder why companies don't scan cash as part of fraud prevention. (You do know that all bills have unique serial numbers I hope)

conorcleary 1y ago
The 'scan' part would be OCR with errors or humans with errors How many shops actually use the fake bill checker device?

roncesvalles 1y ago

It's funny how crypto became branded as "decentralized" when actually it's the exact opposite. Every single transaction ever made is recorded onto a single central ledger. It's not even anonymous; pseudonymity (your wallet address) is not anonymity. It is in fact cash that is decentralized and anonymous. If I go into a dark alley and give you a $100 bill, there is not a single soul other than you and me who knows about the transaction that took place.

mmooss 1y ago
Cash eventually passes through banks: Can't the read the serial numbers, and pretty easily at this point? It's not like tracking credit card or Venmo transactions, but if you take out $500 and give it to someone who deposits it, and if they read the serial numbers, it's clear what happened.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
conorcleary 1y ago
Crypto tornados for rough anonymization