this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2025
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What's your favorite thing that anyone has done out of pure spite? (lemmy.world)
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[–] onslaught545@lemmy.zip -1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Title 31 (Money and Finance), Subtitle IV (Money), Chapter 51 (Coins and Currency), Subchapter I (Monetary System), Section 5103 (Legal Tender) of the United States Code 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. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts.

[–] LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyz 0 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Since you feel like quoting things is conducive to proper discusion:

Is it legal for a business in the United States to refuse cash as a form of payment?

There is no federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law that says otherwise.

Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," 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." This statute means that all U.S. money as identified above is a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/currency_12772.htm

[–] LilB0kChoy@midwest.social 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues

There is no federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services

Goods or services ≠ debts, public charges, taxes, and dues.

A retail store, a restaurant etc. can refuse currency from a customer but a loan/lien holder, a public utility company, a government entity or an HOA must all accept any legal tender.

You're confusing two separate situations.

[–] onslaught545@lemmy.zip 0 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

No, you're confusing two separate issues.

If it's before the point of sale, they can refuse any form of payment. If you've already accrued the debt, they can't refuse it.

At no point in this entire chain was I talking about payment for goods and services. My original statement was about fines levied by the city or state, which is a debt that the debtor legally has to accept pennies for, or discharge the debt.

[–] LilB0kChoy@midwest.social 1 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Re-read my comment. You're saying the same thing I did. Did you think I replied to you and not the other user?

Here's what I said:

A retail store, a restaurant etc. can refuse currency from a customer but a loan/lien holder, a public utility company, a government entity or an HOA must all accept any legal tender.

Which is the same as:

If it's before the point of sale, they can refuse any form of payment. If you've already accrued the debt, they can't refuse it.

The user I replied to who was responding to you said:

There is no federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services.

I told them they were confusing two separate issues.

[–] onslaught545@lemmy.zip 2 points 20 hours ago

Oops, my bad. My eyes fucked up the comment levels.

[–] onslaught545@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

Yes, you're correct. That's where the "debt" part comes in. If it's before you incur the debt, they can refuse to accept any legal tender.