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D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

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Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#281

Post by throwaway9870 »

jdietrich wrote: post #254
nonrandomstring wrote: post #162

Almost every comment is about politics, choice, privacy, rights, markets and percentages. There's a completely different take; Civic resilience From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. Therefore cash in circulation acts as a buffer that provides economic stability and continuity of operations. Also,…

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

Have you never walked into a store and they said you can't use a CC because their reader is down? It is nice to have a few dollars in your pocket for times like that.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#282

Post by op00to »

gmerc wrote: post #241
nonrandomstring wrote: post #162

Almost every comment is about politics, choice, privacy, rights, markets and percentages. There's a completely different take; Civic resilience From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. Therefore cash in circulation acts as a buffer that provides economic stability and continuity of operations. Also,…

One Carrington level event and we learn the lesson. For a while.

Wipe out the networks and your cash is useless too. Why would I want your useless slips of paper?

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#283

Post by ghaff »

jdietrich wrote: post #254
nonrandomstring wrote: post #162

Almost every comment is about politics, choice, privacy, rights, markets and percentages. There's a completely different take; Civic resilience From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. Therefore cash in circulation acts as a buffer that provides economic stability and continuity of operations. Also,…

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

It's probably worth keeping some (few hundred dollars maybe) cash around for a variety of reasons. But pretty much no store is going to be able to (or at least try to) sell you anything if they don't have power--the most likely scenario. Maybe some emergency supplies in a natural disaster but I pretty much guarantee you my local Walmart is closing its doors if there's no power.

And, as others note, CC readers in an individual store do go down though I probably won't have much cash in my pocket even if I have some at home.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#284

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

Chris2048 wrote: post #258
jdietrich wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>From an operational and strategic security POV, cash is a vastly superior technology. It doesn't need electricity, a network of cables, satellites and routers. If the power goes out, I can't get any cash. I don't keep any meaningful amount cash on hand and neither does anyone I know, including my elderly relatives. Most of the stores I shop at won't actually be able to sell me anything, because none of the products…

It isn't just for infra failure. When your credit card provider cuts you off for "unusual activity" that they won't go into detail about, and you realise they are free to refuse you business as they feel like - you'll appreciate cash while rushing to find a new provider as existing debts still loom.

I couldn't use my card a few months ago because of accumulated tarnish. All caused by penny pinchers abandoning gold plated contacts. In a paperliess socciety, the lack of erasers may be our ultimate downfall.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#285

Post by op00to »

didntcheck wrote: post #179
kxrm wrote: post #19

I live in DC and support this law not just from an accessibility standpoint but also from a privacy standpoint. I am tired of every retail/restaurant establishment building a profile of me.

The new "meta" seems to be charging you a tax for not using their loyalty card. Items at Tesco are now significantly more expensive if you don't scan a Clubcard. I suppose it is easier to rotate those than bank cards though

Feel free to use my phone number for these if you’re in the US.

212-867-5309. Replace area code with one near your location.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#286

Post by ghaff »

jbotdev wrote: post #277
Chris2048 wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't just for infra failure. When your credit card provider cuts you off for "unusual activity" that they won't go into detail about, and you realise they are free to refuse you business as they feel like - you'll appreciate cash while rushing to find a new provider as existing debts still loom.

I’ve actually run into this more with debit/cash accounts than with credit cards. I’ve had checking accounts frozen, but I’ve never had a credit card entirely suspended for “unusual activity”. At worst they’ve declined individual charges until I called, or I just switched to a different card, since it’s easy to have many redundant credit cards.

For travel, etc. it's absolutely a good idea to have multiple redundant cards (that aren't issued by the same bank). I haven't had issues for years, but I have had issues in the past and it's a lot easier to just pull out a different card than deal with international calls trying to get a problem resolved on the spot.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#287

Post by sgerenser »

csomar wrote: post #122
rtpg wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If a merchant wanted to, it would be trivial for them to give you a 3% discount for paying with debit. I don't believe that a merchant is allowed to do this? Probably very dependent on your deal with credit card processors but my understanding is that the default contract between a merchant and a credit card processor stipulates that you are not allowed to offer discounts to not use credit cards differently. Of cou…

> I don't believe that a merchant is allowed to do this? Probably very dependent on your deal with credit card processors but my understanding is that the default contract between a merchant and a credit card processor stipulates that you are not allowed to offer discounts to not use credit cards differently. I think this was in the past or no longer enforced. I lost count now of the stores that will charge you a 2-3…

In the U.S. credit card surchages are no longer banned by the credit card processors due to a settlement between retailers and Visa/Mastercard in 2013: https://smartpay.gsa.gov/content/surcharges

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#288

Post by j-bos »

saagarjha wrote: post #274
Hnrobert42 wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In that case, it might be wise for you to withdraw some cash now (depending on your financial situation). I keep a couple hundred in crisp bills of varying denominations in a go bag.

How long would that last you, though? I’d go through that in a week…

Typically go bags are emergency items meant for immediate "GO"ing during or right before a natural disaster, forced evacuation, civil unrest, or condemnation of your living space. So it would a week to get your feet under you.

Re: D.C.'s ban on cashless businesses takes effect

#289

Post by mopenstein »

saagarjha wrote: post #274
Hnrobert42 wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In that case, it might be wise for you to withdraw some cash now (depending on your financial situation). I keep a couple hundred in crisp bills of varying denominations in a go bag.

How long would that last you, though? I’d go through that in a week…

How much would 0 dollars last you?
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