San Francisco to join list of those banning cashless stores

Elitism used to segregate certain people. I have also seen communities do the same by not allowing public transportation around their gated neighborhoods. Gentrification does the same thing. People start moving into poor mostly minority areas then they use policies like this, or they start calling the police for harassment to force the original residents out.

Money is legal tender! However, private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise.

All the better to track you.

The move away from cash is coming this year to Japan in a major way.

i will never give up using cash but I can give up those businesses refusing to take it.

I usually use my SUICA that is not attached to my identity. Of course I have to charge it using cash.. : /

I use my Suica as much as possible. Cabs, Convenience stores, charge it with my Credit Card. More Air Miles. Don't care if I'm tracked, not doing anything I shouldn't be. Those who don't want to be tracked have something to hide. Privacy is so 20th Century..

@the Resident

Count me as "so 20th Century" then. I would rather not be tracked. I will try to figure out what I have to hide and report back to you soon.

They also need to think of travelers, especially foreign ones, who often don't have these cards.

@Tokyo-Engr: I look forward to a full report. But I'm following you on Google anwyay :)

Tracking us should definitely be OUR option, not the bank’s’, shop’s or anyone else’s right or choice. Laws should start there .. and not something in legalese and small print buried on a contract. Good for SF and all the other cities.

Don't care if I'm tracked, not doing anything I shouldn't be. Those who don't want to be tracked have something to hide. Privacy is so 20th Century..

Do you have curtains on your windows?

Most cash is supposed to be legal tender for all debts public or private. If you refuse to accept legal tender in some countries it is illegal. And it should be. Refusing to accept government backed currency means you refuse to acknowledge the validity of that currency. Send them to jail and if they wish to purchase anything from the prison store then make them pay cash!!

@theResident - haha - If you are following me you must be very bored and you won't find so much. I avoid Google but I am sure you can find me elsewhere somewhere.

Come to Hawaii where a not-so-insignificant amount of businesses will absolutely NOT take any form of payment other than cash. From my experience as a Tax Enforcement Officer, it's a way to under-report income thus lowering a business' tax liability.

as would food trucks, which say they lack the resources to handle cash

What? Kids selling lemonade on the street have the resources to handle cash. And what did food trucks do 20+ years ago? Easy answer, they accepted cash. Also wouldn't food trucks be more likely places to shop for the poor people the politicians claim this law is suppose to help?

Go to NYC, buy a pretzel or hot dog from a food cart, bet they will happily accept your cash. And a push cart has fewer resources that a food truck.

i will never give up using cash but I can give up those businesses refusing to take it.

That is your right. Just as a business should have the right to not accept cash. They know that some people will not go to them but have decided that the lose of some customers is made up for by the benefits.

Send them to jail and if they wish to purchase anything from the prison store then make them pay cash!!

Guess what? Jails don't allow the inmates to use cash.

As for tracking all mobile phones already provide that info.

No, all mobile phones do not provide that info. But even if they did, some people don't carry them.