Supporters say it ensures customers who rely on physical currency are not left behind in an increasingly cashless economy.<\/p>\n
ALBANY, N.Y. (WNYT)- A New York law now requires retail stores and food businesses to take cash, and some Capital Region businesses have already changed how they operate.<\/p>\n
Related: Point increase for alcohol, drug-related driving violations in NY on Feb. 16<\/a><\/p>\n The law, which recently took effect, requires most retail stores and food businesses in New York State to accept cash payments. Supporters say it ensures customers who rely on physical currency are not left behind in an increasingly cashless economy.<\/p>\n In downtown Albany, officials say MVP Arena is preparing to adapt while still maintaining largely cashless operations. In the coming weeks, the arena plans to install reverse ATMs \u2014 machines that allow customers to convert cash into prepaid debit cards that can be used throughout the venue.<\/p>\n Other businesses that previously did not accept cash are making more direct changes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Scene Coffee and Cocktails\u201d in Guilderland had operated as a cashless business since opening two and a half years ago. But following the new law, it has introduced a cash register and now accepts cash payments.<\/p>\n General Manager Kevin Cleveland said the shift adds extra steps to daily operations but is manageable.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes another 15 to 20 minutes to cash out a drawer, make the deposit, go to the bank,\u201d Cleveland said. \u201cI\u2019ve done it in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n For some customers, the change is long overdue.<\/p>\n \u201cI think cash should always be an option,\u201d said Jane Ward of Glenmont.<\/p>\n Ward said the new law won\u2019t impact her household much, as her husband already pays exclusively with cash. Others, like Carol O\u2019Brien of Latham, say having the option can even come with benefits.<\/p>\n \u201cI like the option only for the fact that some places, when they take cash, you get a three percent discount,\u201d O\u2019Brien said.<\/p>\n The law does include several exceptions. Businesses are not required to accept bills larger than $20, and cash is not required for online or over-the-phone transactions. It also allows venues to remain effectively cashless if they provide a way for customers to convert cash into prepaid cards \u2014 a model used by venues like MVP Arena, Saratoga Race Course and SPAC.<\/p>\n MVP Arena General Manager Bob Belber said the goal is to give customers flexibility.<\/p>\n \u201cAnybody that wants to use cash should be able to,\u201d Belber said. \u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s good to have options.\u201d<\/p>\n State officials say businesses that violate the law could face fines of up to $1,000 for a first offense and $1,500 for repeat violations. Consumers who believe a business is not complying are encouraged to contact the New York State Attorney General\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor Related Stories:\u00a0New York<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0cash payments<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Supporters say it ensures customers who rely on physical currency are not left behind in an increasingly cashless…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":172807,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[69735,9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-172806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-cash-payments","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}