Cash only businesses

Jeremy Sproket

Why are there still businesses in this day and age not accepting card?

Merchant fees used to be prohibitively high, but nowadays, some companies like SumUp charge negligible amounts.

I've often walked into businesses and asked beforehand if they take card, some say "no, but there's an ATM across the street" ... I'm not withdrawing €50 cash (often the minimum amount in some ATMs) just to spend a few Euros on a takeaway or something else. When they suggest the ATM, I just politley tell them that I'll take my custom to a business that operates in 2021 instead of 1921.

Businesses that only accept minimum payment by card also annoy me.

Sonics2k

Funnily enough there was a thread on Consumer Issues just recently giving out about everyone moving to card only and they miss cash businesses.

Fathom

Advancing tech. So long everything is connected. Not temporarily crashed. Plus cards, always carry a bit of cash. Problem solved.

igCorcaigh

Bank charges possibly? I know some of the ethnic food shops near me don't deal with card transactions for less then €10

cj maxx

I always assumed it was a tax thing.

SupplyandDemandZone

I try as much as possible to pay with cash when I can. Old fashioned I know but it makes me happy.

Small town Italian restaurants are notorious for this….

Blitzkrieger

Everything's about balance. There's hassle dealing with cash, and there's hassle dealing with cards. You wouldn't believe the hassle it can be to try and query different merchant services providers about their rates, and trying to work out which will work best and whether it's worth the hassle. I can understand people not wanting to bother. And when you're on small margins anyway, the services provider taking a percentage no matter how small always seems to sting. I can't see many businesses surviving being cash only for much longer though.

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187749#Comment_118187749

Tax avoidance I mean

Mantis Toboggan

I would have thought it was obvious it's to dodge the tax man.

If you ever see a taxi man paying income tax then he's not a taxi man.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187791#Comment_118187791

If you see a taxi man who doesn't make a tax return he won't be a taxi man for long.

Scandinavian countries are almost entirely cash only. Once I stopped off for a few hours from a cruise ship at a small port in Sweden, and arrived cashless. No problem, escapee from a thunderstorm in a coffee shop and ordered some nice beverage and cakes and tucked in. Ordered a second pot of coffee, more cake, running up quite a little bill but enjoying my indulgence. Next moment lightning struck town and there was a power-cut. Ship was departing soon, no method of paying my bill. Thankfully power was restored barely in time for me to pay and get back to my ship, but it was a very uncomfortable moment. That said I operate mostly cashless these times but keep a bit of cash for those Very moments.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187749#Comment_118187749

Dodging tax and laundering money. There are a number of pubs, and restaurants, in Dublin generating large revenues but with very little footfall.

Stovepipe

Chinese restaurants and take aways....."sorry, card reader is broken". Funny that...it's been six months now. Going to get it fixed any time soon?"

Jeremy Sproket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188107#Comment_118188107

My local Chinese which does an amazing Singapore noodles and hot and sour soup is cash only.

She's the only person I give my business to, I should amend my OP to reflect that but I don't know how. I only occasionally go.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188107#Comment_118188107

my local is cash only too, been that way for years. I can’t believe they’re still in business- Shirley revenue would be on to them at this stage.

Tow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187818#Comment_118187818

I remember the year hundreds of taxi men submitted the exact same tax return. Revenue were not amused.

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188143#Comment_118188143

There is no law saying dealing in cash is illegal. You dont have to have a card machine.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188151#Comment_118188151

And when Revenue are not amused you better look out.

They are famous for their lack of a sense of humour 🙂.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188143#Comment_118188143

As long as they are making a tax return whether they accept cards or not is irrelevant.

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188143#Comment_118188143

Who's this Shirley Revenue?

yoke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188180#Comment_118188180

I think the issue is more about how accurate their tax returns are, rather than that they are not making any tax returns.

It’s very hard for revenue to contest a deliberately low declared income if they can’t just look at your bank statement to gauge your actual revenue.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188238#Comment_118188238

It’s actually very easy for revenue. They’re experts at it.

Expected footfall.

Expected profit margin,

Returns from similar businesses.

Business owners lifestyle.

If all fails, they slap an estimated bill and you have to prove it wrong.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188180#Comment_118188180

you want to be a right fn dope to believe a very popular Chinese restaurant ( or any restaurant for that matter, ethnicity doesn’t come into it) where the phone never stops ringing with customers 7 days a week , that only accepts cash, does an honest tax return to revenue. They’re not cash only for no reason

Still stihl waters 3

I run a small business and 8 times out of 10 I'm paid in cash, I try to veer them towards bank transfers but they horse out the cash making me go to the bank a couple of times a month with a lump of cash

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058218614/cash-only-businesses

Cash is legal tender and they are perfectly entitled to accept cash only. In the same way you are entitled to take your business elsewhere. They may be benefiting from those of us who choose to take our business to cash only places,

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188238#Comment_118188238

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188310#Comment_118188310

I expect we are all grown ups here and know as well as Revenue do that people try to cheat them and by extension us.

Tax cheats are more sophisticated than you might think.

It's not as simple as cash bad / cards good.

Furze99

Many smaller independently owned retailers will often buy in stock too using cash from the till. This would be for smaller occasional suppliers, it suits both parties. Cash for self employed tradespeople is common too.

The government is always keen to push the cashless society concept, Covid has been a Godsend for them in this regard.

What annoys me is being asked to pay in cash but seeing VAT on the bill.

Dempo1

I'd say it's safe to say a lot of small businesses, retail, Beauty, Barber's, bookstores , Pubs, Restaurants etc will suddenly be having issues with their card machines over the next few weeks given the latest government covid restrictions, perhaps I'm being cynical but there's going to be a lot of CASH transactions over the coming weeks, meaningful Christmas and all that 🤔

Separately, very telling Amazon announced no more acceptance of UK issued credit cards from 2022 due to outrageous processing fee's.

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188388#Comment_118188388

Absolutely. The businesses are being told to close/limit/restrict, but there are few supports. They need to do whatever they have to do to survive.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187786#Comment_118187786

Or tax evasion?

Tax avoidance is the legal use of the provisions of the taxation codes to minimise individual or corporate liability to tax. Tax evasion is the deliberate concealment or mis-statement of reportable income or assets and is illegal.