What’s up with the change shortage?

[stevew]

Still seeing “cash, exact change only” signs everywhere. Other night Walmart was no cash at all.

So what’s up? Is this that mark of the beast end times shit? Gotta have a covid vaccine on your right hand or forehead? We breaking out the guillotines like “A Thief in the Night”.

edit-I use my debit/credit cards all the time so this has basically zero effect on me.

[ISiddiqui]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...tage-pandemic/

Less people paying with cash & change means less of it is going through the system.

[stevew]

I get that there's a limited amount of change in the system, etc. But Wal Mart, for example, has almost all self check outs and they won't let you shove a few bucks in and then pay the rest on your card. Maybe they're not programmed correctly. Who knows. I'd offload a bunch of change in the self checkout as well, because it auto counts it and you don't lose that huge cut from Coinstar.

[Kodos]

Some banks have change machines you can use to deposit coins without them taking a cut, as long as you have an account at that bank.

[molson]

Conistar won't take a cut if you get a gift card. So if you ever spend money at Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot, Steam, Cabella's, some other places, that's an easy way to productively get rid of your change, and throw some coins into circulation. (You can donate to charity through them without them taking a cut as well, but I always try to avoid non-direct charitable giving because the company you go through will often claim the donation themselves for tax purposes).

[Ksyrup]

My daughter bought a Starbucks inside Kroger and instead of giving her the change back, they loaded it onto our Kroger card account and when I paid for groceries, it automatically deducted the amount of the credit.

[JonInMiddleGA]

There's also the self-fulfilling prophecy aspect of it.

There's a squeeze on supply because the normal ebb & flow isn't taking place ... so how does not emphasizing a return to the normal ebb & flow fix that?

"We don't have enough change ... so let's not accept any change" is one of those bangheadondesk bits of stupidity.

[Ksyrup]

I think it's more of a big company process application issue. There needs to be consistency in the processes to push out guidelines to all workers, so it's much easier to design a process to eliminate use of change than to try to keep accepting it and have to build multiple processes used in some places but not others depending on which regions/stores ran out and which didn't.

I've dealt with national chains on having to develop processes, and they simply want the "one size fits all" solution whenever practical.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I think it's more of a big company process application issue. There needs to be consistency in the processes to push out guidelines to all workers, so it's much easier to design a process to eliminate use of change than to try to keep accepting it and have to build multiple processes used in some places but not others depending on which regions/stores ran out and which didn't.

So rather than contribute to a solution, they opt to exacerbate the problem. Fits their m.o. of late, that's for sure. Fuck 'em.

[Edward64]

Tangential question, do we really need pennies? Can we just have everything round up/down to nearest nickel?

I'll be glad when apple pay-and-like becomes the norm.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Tangential question, do we really need pennies? Can we just have everything round up/down to nearest nickel?

I'll be glad when apple pay-and-like becomes the norm.

Nickels also cost more to produce than they are worth. Skip straight to dimes?

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by britrock88

Nickels also cost more to produce than they are worth. Skip straight to dimes?

I'm okay with that. Applepay-and-like is the right answer, not sure why it hasn't taken off like its equivalent in China.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I'm okay with that. Applepay-and-like is the right answer, not sure why it hasn't taken off like its equivalent in China.

Because a lot of us don't trust it in the slightest.

I'm for a strict enforcement (and expanded meaning) of "legal tender for all debts", by force if necessary.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I'm okay with that. Applepay-and-like is the right answer, not sure why it hasn't taken off like its equivalent in China.

Because the US is faaar behind the times with stores taking NFC payments. Europeans are shocked that we still have mag stripes (which is also why we have far more credit cards numbers getting hacked than European countries).

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Because a lot of us don't trust it in the slightest.

I've never understood this, esp. since it tends to come from people who have what I would call a generally appropriate distrust of government. A corporate-backed currency isn't inherently worse than a government-backed one. The treasury could put us back on the barter system at any time (with disastrous consequences, but they could do it). There's no more inherent value in legal tender than there is in a piece of plastic or whatever other means of conveyance.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

So rather than contribute to a solution, they opt to exacerbate the problem. Fits their m.o. of late, that's for sure. Fuck 'em.

Is it a private company's responsibility to fix the government's problem, or its own problem? Is it even a problem?

[stevew]

It’s annoying how few stores take Apple Pay. Wal Mart, DG, Lowe’s, Home Depot all a no. Target is like 20 miles from my house so if it’s purchased at retail, I’m not using Apple Pay.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Is it a private company's responsibility to fix the government's problem, or its own problem? Is it even a problem?

Again, I'm an advocate for a broad interpretation of "for all debts ..."

(I know the current limitations, I'm the guy who lectured those who didn't know how it works ... nor that it's a largely (D) not (R) position I'm taking)

[tarcone]

I went to Quik Trip the other day. Wanted a fountain soda, not available. Bougth a bottle. Cost $2.10. I gave a $5. Dude said they had no change and handed me a $0.90 gift receipt.

I dont usually go to QT, so, IMO, they just stole $0.90 from me.

This has to be the stupidest thing ever in the, so called, richest country in the world.

[stevew]

welcome to trumpywood

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Because the US is faaar behind the times with stores taking NFC payments. Europeans are shocked that we still have mag stripes (which is also why we have far more credit cards numbers getting hacked than European countries).

Have really enjoyed my recent European excursions with chipped credit cards. Now the only confusing (to them) thing to deal with is the currency conversion screen.

[ISiddiqui]

Hell, it seems I am JUST getting tap and pay credit cards. My new Amazon card and debit cards in the last year seem to have included that functionality.

I still prefer using my phone though, don't have to grab my wallet (which is George Costanza sized, but I leave it in my front pocket not my back). Maybe that was an impetus in some European countries - can leave a wallet at home to be less susceptible to pickpockets.

[Kodos]

I use Apple Pay whenever possible. It's convenient, and I don't have to take a paper receipt to have a record of the transaction.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Hell, it seems I am JUST getting tap and pay credit cards. My new Amazon card and debit cards in the last year seem to have included that functionality.

I still prefer using my phone though, don't have to grab my wallet (which is George Costanza sized, but I leave it in my front pocket not my back). Maybe that was an impetus in some European countries - can leave a wallet at home to be less susceptible to pickpockets.

My tap and pay only seems to work about half of the time. Not sure if it's the card or the card readers.