New York City lawmakers have banned cashless businesses. With the non-stop push to replace cash with plastic or digital payments, officials decided cash is still important in our lives. Stores, restaurants and other outlets can no longer refuse cash. Officials want people to be able to pay with notes and coins. Businesses in New York City will not be able to insist that customers use cashless payments in any transactions.
Businesses could get fines of up to $1,500 for not following the law. Critics say cashless businesses discriminate against the poor and "communities of color". They say many people do not have bank accounts or credit cards. A city resident said: "It's incredibly discriminatory not to accept cash because some people can't get credit." An opponent of the bill said it puts government in "the business of business in a way that we don't have the right to."