Apple Store REFUSED To Take Cash For iPad, Woman Says

[Guest]

LOL i'm getting a bit tickled here, by how many people seem to be totally disinterested in the fact that it's not illegal to reject cash, even after i posted a link to and quote from the US treasury department's own website!

Sorry!

Now Where Did I Put That State Of California Payroll Promissory Voucher??????

[Guest]

They can cry "piracy prevention" all they want, but it still sounds like "we want control" to me. One more lost sale, I guess.

Besides, for $600 you build a brand new PC and have some money left over . . . and, yeah, the local computer stores will even take cash!

[hr.jr.]

LOL i'm getting a bit tickled here, by how many people seem to be totally disinterested in the fact that it's not illegal to reject cash, even after i posted a link to and quote from the US treasury department's own website!

You are right Lady C - it is not illegal to reject cash and more and more places are not dealing in cash anymore because of robberies, etc.

Actually, by the wording of the statute it is. The powers that be want to eliminate cash and move us into an electronic only currency and they are just all too happy to let these merchants get away with this. U.S. currency is legal tender for "all debts public and private."

The act in its most literal wording does not require a merchant to take cash. The merchant can say, I demand payment in jelly beans if he likes. Once a merchant agrees to sell item x for $100, the merchant is bound to accept reasonable denominations of cash for payment of the $100 private debt. Merchants are not bound to trade in US currency, but once they enter an agreement of sale that has set a price in US currency; they are obligated to accept US currency tendered in reasonable denominations as satisfaction of that debt.

[~Shalhevet~]

actually, it's not. although cash is legal tender, it's not legally required that businesses accept it. http://www.ustreas.gov/education/faq/curre...al-tender.shtml

The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."

Since when does "all" not mean "all"?

[~Shalhevet~]

Actually, by the wording of the statute it is. The powers that be want to eliminate cash and move us into an electronic only currency and they are just all too happy to let these merchants get away with this. U.S. currency is legal tender for "all debts public and private."

The act in its most literal wording does not require a merchant to take cash. The merchant can say, I demand payment in jelly beans if he likes. Once a merchant agrees to sell item x for $100, the merchant is bound to accept reasonable denominations of cash for payment of the $100 private debt. Merchants are not bound to trade in US currency, but once they enter an agreement of sale that has set a price in US currency; they are obligated to accept US currency tendered in reasonable denominations as satisfaction of that debt.

You must be in the legal field too.

[Believer1997]

There are many businesses that do not accept cash. Just because it's legal tender doesn't mean they have to accept it. Kiosks sites at local malls in our state are an example ... many do not accept any form of payment except electronic (debit/credit).. no cash, no checks. It's not too difficult to understand why - many of these businesses do not want employees dealing with cash and want to post payments quickly. They can request to be paid in wooden nickels if they wish...

[Guest LadyC]

so, hr. jr and or'el, ya'll are trying to tell me that the US DEPT OF TREASURY is lying? wow.

maybe you two don't understand the meaning of the word "debt". if the store extended credit, they'd have to accept cash. if they're making a point of sale purchase, they don't. it is not a debt when they're standing at the register to pay in full. it only becomes a debt if they take the item and agree to make payments on it.

and yep, i'm still laughing.

[Guest]

There are many businesses that do not accept cash. Just because it's legal tender doesn't mean they have to accept it. Kiosks sites at local malls in our state are an example ... many do not accept any form of payment except electronic (debit/credit).. no cash, no checks. It's not too difficult to understand why - many of these businesses do not want employees dealing with cash and want to post payments quickly. They can request to be paid in wooden nickels if they wish...

A Few Years Age On Their 250 Year Celebration In The City Of Albuquerque, Someone "Minted" Wooden Nickels And The Whole Town Accepted Them Are Legal Tender..... What A Way To Start A Fire!

[Guest LadyC]

by the way.... "all" means "all" as long as it pertains to debts (such as extended credit), public charges (key word PUBLIC, such as toll roads), taxes (don't really think i need to explain taxes), and dues (recurring fees like child support or union dues or HOA dues)

if you're at the store, there is no debt owed because the product is not in the buyer's hand until AFTER he has paid. the store owns it until AFTER the debit card has slid through the swiper. once it has been paid for, it is now owned by the buyer. there is no debt, and never was a debt.

nothing in that wordage says anything about single purchases from a private business, and it's laughable how some of you are insisting that the us dept of treasury's fact sheet that explains exactly what is and isn't allowable is somehow mistaken and that your own knowledge supercedes theirs.

by the way, when's the last time any of you paid cash for your rent? probably never since most apartment complexes won't accept cash, and haven't for decades. so why is it that the apple store adopting a similar policy is making such waves?

[~Shalhevet~]

so, hr. jr and or'el, ya'll are trying to tell me that the US DEPT OF TREASURY is lying? wow.

maybe you two don't understand the meaning of the word "debt". if the store extended credit, they'd have to accept cash. if they're making a point of sale purchase, they don't. it is not a debt when they're standing at the register to pay in full. it only becomes a debt if they take the item and agree to make payments on it.

and yep, i'm still laughing.

How do you define public charges? I'm not talking about debt. A computer purchase is obviously not a debt.