Change Shortage

That's a new one...would love to know the rationale.

I have not, but I do not like coins anyway.

You should be shot for even thinking about coins. Step into the 21st Century grand pa.

I love change. I pick it up when I find it and throw it in a jar. I'm probably responsible for the shortage!

You know, you can search for things online using simple terms like "coin shortage."

Data lounge is my Google

Went to my local Safeway this morning and the bill came to $110.27. I gave the cashier exact change, and she made a point of thanking me for it. This has happened to me occasionally in recent years, even before the pandemic. Apparently, since more people are charging more, stores get fewer coins, so when they do need to make change they don't have as much of it on hand. So carry some change with you and get a nice thank you.

R7, did you fastidiously count each individual coin out of your small leather coin purse, while 15 people stood in line behind you, wondering if they'd be able to check-out before the store closed? Why are you using cash? Its dirty, and carries germs, and you're obviously a person of high-risk to CV19. Have you ever heard of credit cards, or debit cards if you're unable to get a credit card? Please join the 21st century, or at least come into the last 50 years, and stop.

R8 is one of those that pulls out her checkbook with puppies and kittens and proceeds to write out the check including updating the check register.

Excuse me hon, what’s the date today??

[quote] I gave the cashier exact change, and she made a point of thanking me for it.

R7 doesn't get sarcasm.

How ever will you tip your favorite stripper, OP?

Don't they have a branch of First CityWide Change Bank in your area?

Coinstar is holding it hostage.

Change is a superspreader. 🦠

Maybe no one wants to touch all those coins.

I have my collection of quarters, one from each state, so I think I should be ok.

If banks would take loose change I have several containers full. But they only take rolled coins and ain't nobody got time for that. Well actually I do but what a PITA.

R17, find a bank with a coin counter.

"Wiseacre" is one word and used inappropriately.

Why do you ask those you scorn for information?

R7, people aren't "charging more," they're using debit cards and cashless forms of payment.

No problem for me. I stocked up on bar quarters.

“Change”? What is this “change” of which you speak?

Tap and go, baby - time to join the rest of the world!

R9 Wrong again, old dear. I haven't had checks in at least a decade. But I'm sure yours is balanced to the penny. And you pay that extra fee to have the cancelled checks returned to you each month, so you don't have to learn to use online banking.

R23, you're scathing! Ouch.

We should start a petition at Change.org.

I love rolling coins

Our local Giant Eagle has all but one self checkout lane working, and to make things worse, it wasn't accepting cash. There's a freaking bank (Huntington) in the store!

Seems like if you just put out the word, people would happily bring in their change to Coinstars since they are in grocery stores. Can't believe they are minting more coins per the article at R5. What a waste.

I carry a change purse in my man bag.

I don't think so, there are more transgenders than ever before

“What’s happened is, with the partial closure of the economy, the flow of coins through the economy has ... kind of stopped. The places where you’d go to give your coins and get credit ... those have not been working,” Powell said.

“So, a whole system of flow has kind of come to a stop. We’re well aware of this: We’re working with the mint and we’re working with the reserve banks. And as the economy reopens, we’re seeing coins begin to move around again,”

As a kid I used to roll my change all the time. You would have to put your name and phone number on the paper coin sleeves. You could use them at any store just the same as paper money. I think stores did not like accepting them because they thought you were trying to rip them off in someway.

As a follow up to R22, the U.S. is behind other developed countries. For example, in the U.K. you can tap and go in most every store - even small kiosk shops. At the very least you can use your debit or credit card to pay. A friend from the U.S. joined me in the U.K. for a couple of weeks and she never had to withdraw money to pay for anything. There are exceptions. I was riding in a taxi in Edinburgh and noticed a Cash Only sign so I asked the driver to take me to an ATM so I could pay him.

Perhaps in our lifetime we will see an end to using any form of cash to make payments.

R33, But then those cash only businesses won’t be able to avoid paying taxes! Also, how will the drug mafias be able to launder money?

This doesn’t make any sense.

R34 more importantly how will elected officials and bureaucrats get a rake-off or bribe that is untraceable.

r33

That is against the BLM. One of their demands is an end to this practice as it discriminates against blacks and browns. They also want it to be illegal to charge more for cash. Several progressive cities have banned it.

r28 They probably would, if Coinstar didn't charge a fee. I remember I used to haul all my coins to Vegas or Reno and let the casinos run them through their change counters. I wonder if they even have those anymore, since slot machines are pretty much all cashless these days.

R33 rR37 I doubt if any time soon we will be cashless or coinless. Was just pointing out that apps like Apple and Google pay allows customers to tap and go - and that U.S. outlets are behind the times. I tried to find a reference regarding BLM being against this form of payment R37 - perhaps you can provide?

I agree that charging for cash, especially if you're withdrawing from your checking account, is wrong. There is an ATM company in the U.K. that has a big sign over their ARMs stating "Free Cash" but when you put your card in and request cash one of the following screens says that you will be charged for a cash withdrawal. Go figure.

It isn't a BLM thing exclusively R39, but more of a line of thought that cashless options (especially if cashless is the ONLY option) hurts poor people more.

It doesn't really hurt poor people, but unbanked people (who, on the whole, are usually lower income). I would rather focus on getting these people bank accounts rather than banning cashless stores but whatever. I was really surprised how much cash there is still flowing around (see link).

I have gotten to the point where I don't take anything but my phone and keys with me when going local. Gas, groceries, food, hardware store, gym, whatever. Tap to pay baby.

I do keep some cash in the car <$100.

The big issue with tap to pay is, in the US, the two largest retailers don't accept it - Walmart and Kroger.

YES R42. It really pisses me off. I finally gave up and loaded the Walmart App. It uses a QRS code. I can usually just walk up, scan my groceries (don't bag), and then scan the code. No need to push finish or anything. Scanning the QRS code closes and finishes the transaction. I bag anything I can't just throw back in cart and take off. Receipt goes to app. And I haven't touched anything on that nasty POS.

We should get rid of the penny. It’s not like you grab your pennies to bring with you when you go shopping.

The dollar bill, too. They’re both obsolete.

So the Trump administration is so incompetent they can't even get the money supply intact?

My local big box store just changed all the self checkouts to cards only, no cash payment because of "the nationwide change shortage"

Credit/debit cards are convenient, and it’s fortunate for the corporations that people are addicted to them.

If you have self-discipline and a rational mind, it’s not a big deal. But many people don’t.