A Couple Quick Ones

[Nashida]

So I just got back from a week-long vacation in Florida and have since then started my new job at a major pool and patio store. So far, believe it or not, there's been minimum suckage. *knocks on wood*

Except for these two cases from my first day on the job.

Case #1

I finish a transaction with a customer and the total comes to $16.01. She asks if she can give me the penny, then pay off the rest of the balance with her bank card. Now, I never did this when I worked for Big Yank, and I'm pretty sure it's the same thing everywhere that it can't be done. I tell her this.

Lady: Are you sure you can't?
Me: I'm pretty sure. It's one thing to use a gift card and make up the extra balance in cash or credit. This is different.
Lady: Well, let's try it anyway.
Me: Let's not.
Lady: How come?
Me: Because I can't do that.
Lady: Sure you can.
Me: Um... no.

Sooner or later, she remembers she's got some program with her bank that carries over the other $.99 to her savings account and pipes down.

Case #2

My store does a thing where you can return an empty 5-gallon bucket of chlorine and get a $6 credit towards buying a new one. I guess it's to promote recycling. Trouble is, we offer this, our competitor store doesn't, so they try to bring in the other store's for the credit. So I had one lady come in with a 5-gallon competitor bucket, and 4 empty bottles of shock, and I couldn't take either ( the shock was due to a store policy against the return of chemicals -used or not. Even empty). She was more upset that she couldn't turn in the bucket than she was over the shock. She ended up buying a full bucket anyway, but still scowled at me for making her pay full price for it without the credit.

[ArcticChicken]

Do you know why you can't use two separate ways of paying at your store? I've never been in a place that had a problem with it.

[NightWatch]

Do you know why you can't use two separate ways of paying at your store? I've never been in a place that had a problem with it.

yeah, ditto. I've split transactions between my debit and credit card before on large purchases.

[powerboy]

I have never heard of a place not doing that. I mean, the store is getting the money anyway.

[froglet]

As far as I know, the stores I go to can do it, mostly when I realize 'oops, not enough money in my account, but I have $X in cash' and there is no problem with it.
Might want to ask your manager idly for future reference.

[bainsidhe]

Yeah, I'd confirm with your store about the split payment thing. I'm sure it varies by store and by region, but most big stores in this area have no trouble splitting payment. My store can split it as many ways as you like.

[edible_hat]

At my store (and all others I've worked at), split payment works by entering the cash amount they've given you, processing the card portion(s, if they have multiple cards) and pressing the eftpos button.

[wolfie]

The other day, at the Flying J near my workplace, someone tried to buy 2 food items with a split payment - all cash, but a mix of Canadian and U.S. money. They could handle either currency, but not a mix on the same transaction. He wound up buying one item with each kind of currency as separate transactions - which was a PITA for me waiting to get them to start the fuel pump.

[Gerrinson]

Now, I never did this when I worked for Big Yank, and I'm pretty sure it's the same thing everywhere that it can't be done.

If that's the same Big Yank I worked for you could definitely take two different payment types. And in the US, it is illegal to refuse cash for payment.

The newer Big Yank software used to require that you enter the different tenders in a particular order. I believe it went Cash, Personal Check, Pay Check, Gov't Check, Other (i.e. gift certificates, etc.), Credit/Debit card.

But, yeah, you can't actually refuse cash in the US, even a partial payment. That's federal law.

[paperfiend]

But, yeah, you can't actually refuse cash in the US, even a partial payment. That's federal law.

My understanding is that it's only for payment of debts that you have to accept cash. So unless the person had already incurred a debt (i.e. by eating food at a restaurant) businesses can decree they'll take only X-method-of-payment for purchases if they want.

Of course, my understanding could be wrong -- do you have the reference to the federal law?

[Enigma]

My understanding is that it's only for payment of debts that you have to accept cash.

That was what I was about to say. For example, my apartment does not accept any form of cash payment, we either write a personal check or get a money order.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I finish a transaction with a customer and the total comes to $16.01. She asks if she can give me the penny, then pay off the rest of the balance with her bank card. ... Sooner or later, she remembers she's got some program with her bank that carries over the other $.99 to her savings account and pipes down.

Does her bank only allow charges for even dollar amounts, and no change? I find that odd.

But, yeah, you can't actually refuse cash in the US, even a partial payment. That's federal law.

No, that's not Federal law in the US. It is something that is frequently misunderstood. From a US Treasury web page:

The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which 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 United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Does her bank only allow charges for even dollar amounts, and no change? I find that odd.

If it's a debit card, she's probably just trying to make it easier to balance her checkbook. But if her bank rounds up and drops the leftover into her savings account, it amounts to the same thing...

And yeah, my apartment sent out a letter last month informing us that they no longer accept cash. My roomie and I just each write a check for our portion and mail them together.