“Yeah, some places won’t accept CC’s or checks. But cash is accepted everywhere (in person), as far as I know.”
Actually, there is a movement among merchants toward accepting only electronic payments, but it is driven mostly by Visa/MC handing out big incentives for them to make this move. At the same time, though, Visa/MC have been raising interchange rates to cover all the rewards programs on their credit cards.
I actually sell merchant services, but I’m focused on trying to buck the cashless trend by setting up merchants on a cash discount program. It is now legal for merchants to offer this program, which basically incentivizes customers to pay cash by charging a 3.99% service fee on all credit card purchases.
Merchants that adopt this program love it, because they often save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month. Their only concern is if they will scare their customers away, but once they find out it doesn’t, they never go back to paying those ridiculous interchange fees.
In over 99% of cases, the service fee is a non-issue for customers - the psychology of a “cash discount” works very well, since people are always looking for an incentive to save money.
You wrote: "I’m focused on trying to buck the cashless trend by setting up merchants on a cash discount program. It is now legal for merchants to offer this program, which basically incentivizes customers to pay cash by charging a 3.99% service fee on all credit card purchases."
I've come across some businesses that do charge extra if you pay with a card. For example, some gas stations charge more $$ per gallon if you pay with a card. A few small businesses do it, too. And, yes, as a customer, I do view it more as a discount for paying in cash than as a penalty for paying with a card.