[Old Goat Racer]

So my wife stops at Popeyes chicken drive through and orders 2 sandwiches,
The girl says $8,71. My wife gives her a $20 bill and 1 penny.
The girl hands her $11 and says we're out of change, Here's your chicken. Have a nice day. And yes the girl kept the penny.

WTH ?

[Stuart]

There's been a change shortage for months now, but typically places like that will put up a sign by the order speaker to warn customers.

[GTO_6970]

Go back in a week and order the same thing. When they ask for $8.71, give them $8.41 and tell them you’re even.

[Sirrotica]

Ever since the supposed "Change shortage" started, I always ask beforehand if they have change, if I'm paying with cash. If not the debit card is used.

I believe the restaurants are using this to make their increased covid losses less to their bottom line. In my experiences it seems only restaurants have trouble getting change. The big box store stores always seem to have plenty of change, but that's just my experience.

[Simple Man]

Local scrapyard will round up, if the total is .50 or more, and round down for less than .50. But they tell that to you up front. Total $37.67 gets you $38.00. $37.41 gets you $37.00

[cdrookie]

I was working north of Seattle a few months ago and a few places had signs up that they were looking to buy your change.

[400 4spd.]

We had the same around here. Some businesses still have signs posted about the change shortage, but seem to provide the change anyway.
I would like to know if a person shows up to make a purchase and is short a bit of change if they are turned away. I doubt the seller will say "it's okay, the last guy over paid by XX amount."

[Greg Reid]

I can go one better...When this first came up a few months ago I was in the gas station or somewhere and the girl asks if I mind rounding up...they were out of change. It was only a few cents so I agreed and didn't think much about it..
My dumb ass didn't think about it until later...I was paying with a debit card..lol.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

My dumb ass didn't think about it until later...I was paying with a debit card..lol.

okay
that was a REALLY good one
Can't make that up

If Seinfeld was still filming , they would use that material and pay you for it.

[Lightfoot]

Our local Wal Mart has been limiting the self checkout area to card use only, periodically. If you want to pay with cash, you have to wait in line at a regular lane.
I rarely have more than 3-4 items, and never use plastic, so it's a hassle.
Been using the self checkout since they first became available because it's so much quicker.

[The Champ]

If they'd stop making pennies and $.50 coins (and take them out of circulation) they could probably keep up with the demand for real change. But that makes too much sense so they probably won't do it.

Eliminating the penny would never cost anyone more than $.04 at the till and drop the wasteful use of the copper nickel alloy - not to mention the actual cost to produce them. Eliminating the $.50 cent coin would cut the cost to produce a coin that is rarely actually used.

[Ken MacNicol]

Coming from a banking back round, there is no change shortage

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Ken MacNicol

Coming from a banking back round, there is no change shortage

Exactly what I've thought right from the beginning. My daughter and my X wife both worked in banks for many years. From what they told me, the Fed doesn't run out of money, for any length of time. They could be short for a day or so, but never months.

[72projectbird]

Change shortage. What a bunch of BS.


I haven't run into any of that nonsense yet

[mgarblik]

Over the last 10 months, I have been using my debit card much more than I ever had. Retailers and fast food all seem to prefer you use the cards and make it more difficult to use cash to lessen the handling of "virus infused" cash. OK , so being the "good citizen" I complied. So far, 10 months later, the bank has paid my wife and I back a little over $700.00 because we have both had our accounts hacked and had to replace our cards. This began with the no change available and the change "shortage"

[Chris65LeMans]

I've noticed that a few local restaurants that were "CASH ONLY" (Translates to "we don't like paying taxes") have moved over to "credit cards only because Coronavirus." With that added 3% credit card fee, sales and income taxes, that's gotta be quite a hit to the bottom line.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Back in the late '70's I took a vacation to Mexico. I decided to take a bus and paid in Pesos expecting Centavos in change. The drive handed me a piece of gum in lieu of change. Change is almost as meaningless here now. I use a debit card for everything.

[grandam1979]

People don’t want to handle dirty money right now it’s the touchless service thing. I ask at my local stores if they have a change shortage non of them do.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by grandam1979

People don’t want to handle dirty money right now it’s the touchless service thing. I ask at my local stores if they have a change shortage non of them do.

If the change is going to transfer disease, why don't the dollar bills? No place has trouble dealing with dollar bills, which have much more surface area on them than a coin does. Also the surface of paper has many more cracks and crevasses for a .125 micron virus to nestle in, than a smooth metal surface. Which is same type surface the food prep is done on, and sterile surgical surfaces use.

When the clerk takes you card to run it, there is also the possibility of transfer from them handling it, along with the paper receipt they hand you. If you use the card terminal, instead of handing the clerk your card, hundreds of people a day touch those same keys you're using. They used to sanitize the keypads at the beginning of covid, that has pretty much gone by the wayside now. I've not seen anyone sanitizing keypads in a retail store for months now.

Also noticed no one is any longer wiping down the handles of shopping carts as they once were, and many times there isn't any supplies for the customer to wipe the handles down either.

[vertigto]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

If the change is going to transfer disease, why don't the dollar bills? No place has trouble dealing with dollar bills, which have much more surface area on them than a coin does. Also the surface of paper has many more cracks and crevasses for a .125 micron virus to nestle in, than a smooth metal surface. Which is same type surface the food prep is done on, and sterile surgical surfaces use.

When the clerk takes you card to run it, there is also the possibility of transfer from them handling it, along with the paper receipt they hand you. If you use the card terminal, instead of handing the clerk your card, hundreds of people a day touch those same keys you're using. They used to sanitize the keypads at the beginning of covid, that has pretty much gone by the wayside now. I've not seen anyone sanitizing keypads in a retail store for months now.

Also noticed no one is any longer wiping down the handles of shopping carts as they once were, and many times there isn't any supplies for the customer to wipe the handles down either.

Great point.

In addition, copper has some antimicrobial properties...think about the old copper AC coils vs. new aluminum ones and 'dirty sock syndrome' (ie, mold)..