Banning Cash is Unfair: Why HR 1108 is Crucial
Written by Sabina Lobo
“Do you take Apple Pay?” A common question uttered throughout restaurants, shopping malls, and even gas stations all around the United States, every day. In an increasingly digital age, more and more regular consumers opt for the “all-in-one” method of simply tapping their phones or cards on a screen, rather than opening up a wallet, sifting through bills. In February of 2025, H.R 1108, Payment Choice Act of 2025, was introduced to the House floor. Most recently referred to the House Committee on Financial Services, the bill, if passed, would require all retail businesses in the United States to accept cash dollars as a form of payment, particularly for sales of $500 or less. Furthermore, the bill even goes as far as to prohibit increased pricing for customers who opt to pay in cash during a transaction.
The Payment Choice Act of 2025 comes at a time when it's most needed. With the advancement of technology, the shift towards a cash-less society is imminent. The Pew Research Center found that as of 2022, the share of people nearly never using cash had doubled since 2015, with the share of people using exclusively cash shrinking. However, the reduction in cash usage came with the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic. With businesses opting for the most sanitary, least contaminating ways to resume operations, tap payments, often featuring Apple
Pay, became the norm, remaining so today out of convenience. However, it seems that many establishments never turned back. The percentage of businesses in the U.S. that are cashless (accepting more than 95% of their payments using cashless methods) has more than doubled since before the pandemic.”, as reported by PaymentFacilitator.
This shift however, means that the same demographic that is often forgotten is once again left behind; Boomers. In a survey conducted by AARP, it was found that “70 percent of boomers and those in the 72-and-older age group still use paper currency or coins to pay for items that cost $5 or less”. Yahoo Finance even credits the use of cash among the elderly to the mental effect of paying with something in cash. They credit the act of physically handing over money, knowing the exact value of a bill, to helping a consumer better understand what’s coming in and out of their wallet. “The experience also makes the act of spending money more tangible in a way that using a credit card, or even a debit card, simply doesn’t”. Seeing the benefits that cash usage yields them, coupled with their established preference for it, the passage of H.R 1108 is vital to prevent commercial discrimination against elderly consumers.
The trend is simple; The more technology advances, the more discriminatory the commercial space becomes towards the elderly, and those who prefer a traditional means of payment. It is essential that the Committee on Financial Services amend the bill until it can be passed into law, effectively preventing age and technology-based discrimination in commerce.
Sources
Kiger, P. (2023, January 29). Boomers prefer to pay in cash, not credit or debit card. AARP. https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/boomers-prefer-cash-over-credit-2017/
Yahoo! (n.d.). 3 wise reasons boomers carry more cash than younger generations. Yahoo! Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/boomers-carry-more-cash-younger-191507442.htmlguccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAIcpyJgwFZGMjEPc8c1aEz_l85rKUtD8Y7AL75vl7n5nep6ZdfvzvyJLeq1KSxAGfawkpa9bTQSvpZqPRgtNbvbQSd6zz2xIe1uLBfdmbREohmOytzDH7iGA9-6iGeSFvgBFDtCQaO-BOQ0BEsyl0sWJ4pdwj8JG3uQ4izroqS9
H.R.1138 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Payment choice act of 2025 | congress.gov | library of Congress. (n.d.-b). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1138
The News Tribune (2025): The cashless shift in America: What it means for shoppers and businesses https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article311972303.html
Cashless businesses in U.S. have doubled, square says; Flutterwave partners with PayPal: News roundup. Infinicept. (2022, February 24). https://infinicept.com/payment-facilitator/news/cashless-businesses-in-u-s-have-doubled square-says-flutterwave-partners-with-paypal-news-roundup/
