"Legal Tender"?

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Walked into a Kinkos one day because I needed one copy of something.
Cost around 7 cents at that time.
They refused to accept my cash, which says "This note is legal tender for all debts public and private."
I could have used a credit card, which I didn't want to for a 7 cent transaction.
They suggested I buy a pre paid card, which is ridiculous, since I wasn't going there again, and what was I going to do with a $10 pre paid card, with $9.93 still left on it? I realize from their point of view it makes their accounting easier and cuts down on employee theft. But my point is, don't they have to accept my cash? Can I call the Treasury Dept. or someone and file a complaint?

 

Private businesses can refuse any form of payment that they choose. In my opinion, this particular incident seems a little silly on their part...but they are allowed to do so.

 

The consumer protection laws of cities like New York require the policies to be conspicuously posted. In the case of a copy shop where they are posted at the counter and you would not have seen them until after you made the copy...

But that's a local issue.

I would have offered the bill and when they refused left - if they called the police, I would have retendered the bill.

 

If he could have paid with a credit card without extra cost to him, he should have done so. Even if correct as a matter of state/local law, it isn't worth getting into a contest over it especially on a $0.07 bill.

 

I'm guessing this "legal tender" note was a $100 or $50 bill. Merchants have a problem retaining enough change if they accept them, not to mention the risk of getting stuck with a counterfeit. I used to see plenty of businesses posting notices that they wouldn't accept anything larger than a $20.

 

No. Just a dollar bill, or even change. They refused to accept any form of cash as payment, and you need a "key" to operate the copy machine, so I was unable to complete any transaction. I did find a nice pair of expensive sun glasses on the floor tucked in underneath the lip of the front counter.
I have since been able to make copies at Office Depot (or Office Max).
Of course I could have used a credit card, but I prefer to use cash for certain transactions.

 

Well, that seems like a ridiculously stupid business decision, but it is theirs to make, I suppose.

I try to avoid using credit cards for low-value transactions, and some low-end merchants still post minimum amounts for which they'll accept a credit card (although I think the card companies try to prohibit that). I can't see the sense in paying ten or twenty cents (?) to run a credit-card transaction for seven cents, but I guess nobody ever got fired for following the letter of corporate policy...