Originally Posted by
darthbimmer
The common explanation parses the phrase, "valid tender for all debts public or private" with emphasis on debt. If you've already obtained a good or service and are paying for it after the fact, you are paying a debt. If you're paying before receipt of goods there is no debt and thus the business can legally refuse to accept cash.
That's interesting. So it kind of falls under the category of a business being able to deny anyone service for any reason, as long as it's not discriminatory based on things like race, gender, religion, etc.? Since anyone/everyone has access to cash, it wouldn't be discriminatory to not accept it.
Credit card companies better start a push to issue credit cards to children too, if this becomes a trend.