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The Daily Insight Hub

Is it legal for a business to refuse cash?

Author

William Jenkins

Updated on January 17, 2026

The short answer: yes. As mentioned, there is no federal law that mandates private businesses to accept cash as a form of payment. Ultimately, it’s up to the business to decide whether or not they want to accept cash payments (unless there is a state or local law that says otherwise).

What should I do if my customer refuses to pay with cash?

If you’re not accepting cash from customers, offer a variety of payment options to make it convenient for customers to pay you without cash. Consider accepting: Make sure you also have a convenient payment process. Check that your payment processing equipment is up-to-date and working properly.

What happens when business won’t accept cash for payment?

In other words, if a business tells you up front that it doesn’t accept cash and you proceed to make a purchase or place an order anyway, you’ve accepted the terms of their willingness to provide you with the good (s) or service (s) in question, including the provision that says they only accept payment in certain forms or via certain methods.

What to do if a company refuses to refund your money?

If the business or seller refuses to help you resolve your complaint, and you still feel like you have a legitimate argument for having your money refunded, there are still other avenues you can take, including chargebacks, mediation, a lawsuit, or arbitration.

Is it legal to accept cash as payment?

This statute means that all United States money as identified above is a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services.

Is it illegal to not accept cash in New York City?

The City Council on Thursday passed a bill that bans local businesses from not accepting cash. The bill also prohibits enterprises from penalizing customers who pay with cash by charging them higher prices.

Are there any stores that don’t accept cash?

Ryan said he’ll likely invest in a cash machine that allows patrons to load their cash onto a card that can be used for payment. Other cities and states, including New Jersey, Philadelphia and San Francisco, have approved similar bans. Massachusetts has since 1978 required all retailers to accept cash.