[chairmanwow1]

How on earth is requiring card payments discriminatory? Providing cash payment options is absolutely not free and implies extra risk on behalf of the business.

Refusing to take part in the banking system is not worth penalizing businesses for. Let the free market work.

[krunck]

The reality is that cards can impose very high fees and businesses spread that cost out onto card AND cash payers. Card companies stipulate in the contract with the business that they CAN NOT charge extra for card transactions to cover the fees. That is why you see businesses offering discounts if you use cash.

The Visa/Mastercard cartel has too much power.

[chairmanwow1]

This is a good argument against cards, but does not address GP's claim that card-only payments is discriminatory.

[sneak]

It's not possible to get a bank account in the USA if:

1- you are on the secret unaccountable banking blacklist

2- you lack proper identity documentation

3- you are a fugitive from justice

Without a bank account, you can't get a payment card, and, in a cashless world, you can't buy food.

[weertw]

Ever see a homeless schizophrenic? Do you think they have a bank account?

[chairmanwow1]

This is a strawman. The homeless schizophrenic is clearly not capable of caring for themselves, so their inability to participate in society should not impose restrictions on all businesses.

The problem you cite is not solved by requiring businesses to accept cash—it is solved by removing the homeless schizophrenic from the depravity of the street.

[lores]

Many people at the margin don't have bank accounts. Not only schizophrenics, but undocumented immigrants or the homeless. There are a lot of undocumented immigrants and homeless.

[ekianjo]

Because not everyone has access to cards?

[chairmanwow1]

Legal residents absolutely 100% all have _access_ to cards, whether they choose to use them is another matter.

[sneak]

Also; this is factually false. There are thousands and thousands of people who are citizens, legal residents with legal ID, and not fugitives, who cannot obtain bank accounts or bank cards.

There is a secret blacklist shared among the banks that cause them to deny or automatically close accounts held by certain people. They are not required to service anyone.

Do you not see the dangerous failure modes of allowing private companies to point and click cause someone to become persona non grata without due process? They also happily do so at the request of the state, again with no requirement of criminal wrongdoing or burden of proof, and no due process.

[sneak]

Do you know what a huge amount of labor in your society depends on people who are not legal residents, or don’t have identity documentation?

You don’t want those people to not be able to buy food, or the next time you go and buy vegetables or fruits or chicken breast with your own shiny metal bank card, you might find yourself paying 5x the cost.

[ekianjo]

Don't you need to be above a certain age to have a card?