I think so. It's illegal here in the US, and I agree with it. Virtually nobody doesn't take cash, which is the way it should be...otherwise you put people at a disadvantage who don't want or can't get a credit/debit card, especially the homeless. And the idea of cash-free society worries me; make it all digital, and you give certain entities more control...

I don't know that fines are the answer, but not accepting cash stinks of classism, like you gotta have a bank account to shop there, no bueno... you have a public accommodation anybody can walk into, that is an invitation to do business with anybody, and not everyone has a bank account...Anyway I don't know what the solution is but I don't think it's fines

The Scots would love that, they'd travel south just to force the English to accept their banknotes!

Strange…

Well, I do not know the law in UK but here the official money is a lawful payment and valid currency to pay legally binding purchases. As a business owner you have to make it perfectly clear how you want to have a contract ( i.e. selling goods or services ) with a client without money. In advance when you do not want cash. You cannot agree upon a sale and afterwards refuse cash as payment. But you can negotiate some other payment terms. When you do not negotiate something else in advance but cash you break the contract which could lead to a fine.

My gut feeling on this is no, but I don't know what sorts of things factor into a business's decision to take cash or not.

That's actually a good thing, I don't like cash either.

Small businesses really don't need to be taxed more.

no???