Coin Shortage

[Porthos]

My son just told me there are signs in the grocery store asking for exact change or debit/credit cards.
https://nypost.com/2020/07/01/national-coin-shortage-has-retailers-pleading-for-exact-change/

 

[GTP]

I have a friend who works in retail. They dont/wont take cash now, only contactless card payments.

 

[britechguy]

This must be a regional thing (at least in the US) there are no such signs here in the Shenandoah Valley, at least not yet.

It also wouldn't be possible for any store here to require plastic and still keep anywhere near to the amount of business that's customary. I can't say that "cash is king" here, but it's certainly "duke or earl" and used a lot. And this comes from someone who uses plastic almost all the time, but pays attention to what's going on at the checkout line.

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

Similar signs are here as well. Fast-food drive thru, Grocery, and a big-box all had them.

 

[Porthos]

99% of the time I use a card so no issue for me. I like to use cash for the small businesses like the little restaurant down the street.

 

[mraikes]

I'm just completing a two week, 9 state tour, and signs requesting plastic, or exact change for payment are all over the place.

 

[britechguy]

And as a data point, the first of these I've seen were at one of the grocery stores in town this evening, a Martins. Neither Wal-Mart nor Aldi has anything up yet, but it's got to be coming.

 

[Sky-Knight]

We have those signs out here too, and it's not because of some shortage of currency, it's because the places in operation are too short staffed to send someone to the bank. The banks have plenty of currency on hand, but the numbers of people in them are a quarter what they used to be.

In some cases, to make this a little dark...

The person responsible for the money can afford to stay home during COVID to mitigate the risk. Those people aren't willing to take the risk of going to the bank. But they'll pay their employees and make them take the risk. Crack that whip slave driver, crack it!

 

[GTP]

it's not because of some shortage of currency, it's because the places in operation are too short staffed to send someone to the bank.

The main reason the store my friend works at wont take cash is because cash - both coins and notes - carry disease and are one of the main spreaders of colds and flu.
So with this covid stuff happening they've reinforced their stance on accepting "contactless" cards only.
According to her boss business has been "normal" and most people just accept it.

Personally, I haven't used cash for so long I cant remember the last time I did.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@Barcelona I'm the same, I never use cash. The Visa is just too darned convenient.