Example: in my candy shop, where we wanted to keep prices affordable, a lollipop costing $1.50 that a parent would hand me a credit card for, could cost #.20 - $.40 PER TRANSACTION depending on the card (credit or debit). If in a year that same item is priced at $2.00 because people complain about "the difficulty" of using cash. they'd scream bloody murder over the increase. And yet people love to swipe and also they love to brag about how they won't carry cash. Even for small amounts, such as under $5.00.
Those little signs you see posted now saying no charges under $5 or $10? We couldn't do that at the time - it was forced on us to accept any amount, even if we lost money on the sale. If someone threw a tantrum in the shop over charging a $1.00 can of soda, I'd hand it to them, free, because I would lose more money running the card.
Now if you want to get into WHY the push towards electronic transactions from a "big brother" standpoint, we'd be here all day, so I'm not going down that rabbit hole. Just keep in mind if we refuse to use cash, we're agreeing to a way of life where you can't tip someone for really outstanding assistance or service, in many circumstances (yes, you can add it to a restaurant bill, but not giving a cleaning person a cash bonus for amazing work, or things of that nature).
• You can't retain that relatable aspect of financial responsibility if you only use plastic and have trouble reconciling your spending with monthly income.
• You can't teach a child from an early age how to respect and understand the impact of money - both earning and spending it, in a manner that is an actual learning process - without physical components.
Lastly, using a card right now, in our struggling economy, especially at our valued independent businesses, hurts them financially. It takes more money out of their pockets, and even if you are used to using cash at the big box stores, please, just LOOK at the difference in company structure and fees. Who is going to pay less? Who is going to struggle to keep prices reasonable harder, because they feel awful having to constantly raise them, in a world where literally everything costs so much more than it did a few years ago? Costs are rising, many small businesses are fighting to survive, and swiping a card just to "get points" isn't really a deal if it costs them for our convenience. Use the cards for your big stuff, not a $10 hamburger or $5 ice cream.
#CashIsKing #creditcardprocessing
#CashRules #NationalDollarDay
Thanks for stopping by my blog ~ 😊
community first • marketing consultant • advocate for small business • lover
of classic cars • beach girl • believer that "together we accomplish more"
