Is it Legal in Texas for a Business to Refuse Your Cash Payment?

Over the past decade it's become easier and easier to use debit cards in Dallas, TX, and across the U.S. Businesses are keeping less cash on hand and for their deposits, and yes, some businesses have even decided to stop accepting cash as payment altogether.

But is this legal?

In 2024, retailers could get weird looks from customers if they are told that the business doesn't take cash. Electronic transactions have become faster and easier to carry out to both retailers and customers. I'll be honest, I don't carry a lot of cash on me anymore.

Is it illegal to refuse cash as payment?

The short answer is no, it is not. This answer can be found at federalreserve.gov. It states:

There is no federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law that says otherwise.

So what if a business refuses my cash payment?

Well, the only answer I have is to take it up with the management of that business. If cash is all you have then surely something can be worked out.

The Future

Checks went by the wayside a long time ago. People still use them but it is very few that do. I haven't written one in 20 years. The same fate, whether you like it or not, may come to cash as well.