N.C. House lawmakers want to stop businesses from refusing to accept cash payments.
Some shops and restaurants have gone cashless, requiring people to pay with a credit card. The practice caught on during the COVID-19 pandemic as merchants opted for contactless payments to reduce the spread of the virus.
But Rep. Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, says that discriminates against people who don鈥檛 have access to a bank account.
鈥淔olks have went in to get things as simple as a ham sandwich and a Coke with $5, and they鈥檝e been turned away,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is just saying the paper tender was, by the federal government, legal tender for all debts public and private.鈥�
Businesses wouldn鈥檛 be required to accept bills larger than $50, and they wouldn鈥檛 be allowed to charge customers using cash a higher price than those paying with a card. The mandates wouldn鈥檛 apply to vending machines or other self-service transactions where an employee isn鈥檛 present to make change.
passed its first committee hearing on Thursday without any opposition.
It was one of several finance-related bills that House committees approved on Thursday morning. Among the others:
- , titled the 鈥淪econd Amendment Financial Privacy Act,鈥� would ban credit card processors from using merchant codes that would show someone made a purchase from a gun store or dealer. Democrats objected, saying the requirement could limit the information available to law enforcement investigating a gun crime. But the bill鈥檚 sponsor, Rep. Reece Pyrtle, R-Rockingham and a former police chief, said it鈥檚 a 鈥渟lippery slope鈥� to have private companies collecting that data.
- , titled the 鈥淔air Access to Financial Services Act,鈥� would ban financial institutions from denying service based on a customer鈥檚 political or moral views. Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover, questioned whether such discrimination actually occurs. The bill鈥檚 sponsor, Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, R-Henderson, said she鈥檚 heard from pawn shops and gun businesses that had trouble accessing financial services.
- would prohibit state government from accepting payments using cryptocurrency. The bill鈥檚 sponsor, Rep. Mark Brody, R-Union, said he鈥檚 concerned about how to convert cryptocurrency payments into dollar amounts. 鈥淚t can change with the market, and especially with something like Bitcoin 鈥� it can fluctuate,鈥� he said.
