Cash only shops

Ally Dick

The question I have is, are they fiddling their taxes, or laundering money? There is a Chinese takeaway, and a laundrette where I live...both cash only. I've seen hairdressers and beauty salons which are the same as well

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

The former, definitely. The latter, possible but not as likely.

BuboBubo

Are the card machines expensive? I've been given that excuse in shops a few times.

Melania Frump

I was on holidays recently and was offered discount on cash sale but none on card. Obviously tax dodge.

Tippsman

Make CASH great again.

Darc19

BuboBubo wrote: »

Are the card machines expensive? I've been given that excuse in shops a few times.

€20/month and the charge for debit cards is cheaper than the charge for lodging cash in a bank.

Credit card charge is less than 1%

No excuse these days.

Pauliedragon

Your not Irish unless you fiddle your tax. Half the people I know do foxers every Saturday and then come 5pm they sit in the pub watching the match complaining to the barman about how the foreigners are ruining the country. Declare your foxers to revenue then complain about the Immigrants taking your money.

Nigel Fairservice

There's an old style convenience shop across the road from my office that doesn't take card. It is surrounded by offices and a few tech companies. I can only imagine the sales they're missing out on. I rarely have cash so don't bother going in. I go to the other shop (a similar old style shop) a minute away that takes card and buy what I need there.

Richard Hillman

My local Chinese is cash only. I like to order first then pop around to the shops and the ATM but it's a dangerous game because if the ATM is down, you're a bit screwed.

Your Face

You pay now.

blueshade

There's a massive problem with people being trafficked from China and Vietnam, especially to work in beauty salons etc. I notice a place that opened recently where even the men are doing nails and all the staff are wearing those surgical masks while on the premises. I do wonder if the staff have been trafficked and it businesses are cash only it might be to keep a lid on the trafficking. It's up to the owners as to what they lodge in the bank and if it's all that's going through the till. What about all these kebab/fast food shops too?

Church on Tuesday

Tippsman wrote: »

Make CASH great again.

She seems to be doing fine.

Eggs For Dinner

Darc19 wrote:

Credit card charge is less than 1%

1% is a significant margin when running a business

branie2

Tippsman wrote: »

Make CASH great again.

Johnny Cash

the beer revolu

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

1% is a significant margin when running a business

The point was that it isn't free to lodge cash.
You will also be charged for bags of coins as needed.

McCrack

I think it's common enough in small shops/butchers etc in towns not to accept card.. The old school businesses

CFlat

Chinese in a town where I work also cash only. First time I used it, rang ahead, ordered, arrived in to pay with card, sorry cash only. Running around like a fool trying to find a cash machine. Never used them again.

So much for aiming for a cashless society.

Ally Dick

So if the revenue inspected these places, what would the excuses be? Sorry, not earning enough to pay or charge VAT? That won't wash. I know a tyre place that had a sign up for years claiming that their card machine was out of order. Eventually the revenue shut them down

Yurt2

Ally Dick wrote: »

So if the revenue inspected these places, what would the excuses be? Sorry, not earning enough to pay or charge VAT? That won't wash. I know a tyre place that had a sign up for years claiming that their card machine was out of order. Eventually the revenue shut them down

I've heard that certain ethnic restaurants are a favourite target of inspections for Revenue; almost always churns up a juicy tax settlement for the exchequer.

Effects

CFlat wrote: »

Chinese in a town where I work also cash only. First time I used it, rang ahead, ordered, arrived in to pay with card, sorry cash only. Running around like a fool trying to find a cash machine. Never used them again.

When you rang ahead, why didn't you confirm whether they took card or not?

bodhrandude

In my corner shop if you use your debit card you have to buy ten euro worth goods first so I always remember to have cash for that place.

StupidLikeAFox

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

1% is a significant margin when running a business

At this stage it's a small price compared to sales you are losing out on

cj maxx

I tend to use card for everything bar a bar of chocolate or something.
The only places I know of that don't take card are hairdressers. Usually a single hairdresser, cash in hand business

AulWan

Any small business can now get a card reader quite cheaply but the problem with that is it leaves a trail for tax purposes. The only reason for being cash only is avoiding tax.

A friend of mine who has her own small business providing beauty services was told by her accountant not to take card payments for this very purpose.

Jimbob1977

The merchant (shop) will pay card fees on every transaction.

In some cases, it will be a flat unit fee - like €0.15.

In other cases, it will be based on the value of a transaction, say 1.75%.

The key determining factor is the type of card (debit or credit) and the reputation of the merchant (small player or big company). There is an assessment fee, an interchange fee and the margin taken by the acquirer (Elavon etc).

As an example, a €10 chip shop takeaway could cost anywhere between €0.15 and €0.18. That's quite significant as it is coming out of their pocket.

The advantage is that they don't have the security risk of a tonne of cash in the till.

Montage of Feck

A cashless society is a scary thought if you value human rights.

Ally Dick

Beggars on the street will be dreading the day we go cash only

colm_mcm

Ally Dick wrote: »

Beggars on the street will be dreading the day we go cash only

Try again

suicide_circus

i would say there is a ferocious amount of shenanigans going on with asian restaurants, salons, phone shops etc. both in terms of tax and people trafficking

fritzelly

bodhrandude wrote: »

In my corner shop if you use your debit card you have to buy ten euro worth goods first so I always remember to have cash for that place.

They're breaking MC/Visa's terms of use - you are not supposed to impose a minimum spend

Even if I have enough cash on me, I’d leave the items and go to the next shop if they didn’t offer card services.