6 Situations Where I (Surprisingly) Don’t Need Cash
Photo by zbowling
While there are certainly still many places where cash comes in handy, I have been surprised recently at the number of unusual places where I have been able to use my credit card. It seems like you can’t escape the Visa or MasterCard logo these days — at least that was my experience during my Thanksgiving travels. So what places surprised me by accepting credit cards?
1. At The Vending Machine
For some reason, this surprised me last month when I saw it in a hotel — yes, just like this picture shows, some vending machines are now accepting credit cards. I wonder what the economics of it all are — if the convenience store next door has a $5.00 minimum charge, how come this vending machine is willing to charge a $2.00 Coca-Cola? All-in-all, I can’t really complain; when you’re thirsty, it stinks to have a dollar bill that the machine just will not accept. One more of life’s little frustrations eradicated!
2. Onboard The Airplane
Even at 30,000 feet, it is hard to escape the domain of the credit card. Many, if not most, major airlines now accept credit cards for in-flight purchases of things like snacks, drinks, and other items. In fact, some airlines are even going so far as to go completely cashless – no credit card, no cocktail. Given that airlines are charging more and more money for more and more amenities (no free drink on US Airways? Really?), these credit card terminals are going to find quite a bit of use.
3. At The Drive Thru
Maybe it is just because I remember the “old days” when it used to take a little bit of time for a credit card authorization to go through, but it still seems strange to me that you can use your credit card in most fast food drive-thrus. Many are making it even easier by installing outside terminals where you can swipe your card yourself.
4. In The Back Of A Cab
Am I the only who ever gets (irrationally) nervous in a cab ride that you might not have enough cash? There is just something about the variable factors that go into a cab ride which can make me nervous. What if you get stuck in traffic? What if you don’t really have a grasp of how far you are going? So the fact that more and more cabs are now accepting credit cards is a very welcome development in my book. The only problem, in my experience, is that some cabbies are still very much in opposition to the idea, so sometimes they will give you minor pushback at first. Small price to pay.
5. Buying Mass Transit Cards
I have been in a couple major cities in the last few weeks, and several of them had mass transit systems that allowed you to load almost any amount — no matter how small — on to a “pay as you go” transit card using your credit card. In Boston, for example, I found myself constantly charging $2.00 to add another ride on to my pass (since it was a short trip, why risk buying more than I need?). Of course, some cities like New York de-incentivize this by offering bonuses for putting on more money at one time (which seems like a fair system).
6. Opening A Bank Account
i just find this one funny. When I opened a checking account earlier this year, I was given the option of initially funding the account via credit card — up to $500 (free credit card rewards!). Now, I am extremely responsible with my credit cards, but does anyone else think that funding a bank account with a credit card might be a bad idea?
What Does It All Mean?
So credit card machines are everywhere now — that much seems apparent. I imagine it is a combination of decreased transaction costs coupled with a recognition that people simply spend more money when they use credit cards.
Is this a good thing? It certainly makes life more convenient. At the same time, it also adds to the temptation to spend more, which for some people is hard to resist (That $10 sandwich on US Airways or American seems a lot more acceptable when you pay via credit card).
One major concern of mine with all of this, though, is security and accountability. When you use a credit card in a store, you can be reasonably confidant of its legitimacy and you know where to come back to if there are any problems. With all of these mobile credit card machines, though, whether it be on a plane or a cab, it seems like it might be harder to maintain that accountability.
Furthermore, this proliferation of credit card machines just raises the stakes when it comes to fraud — take a look at these pictures of credit card skimmers that Redbox found. Now look at the vending machine in this post’s picture — one’s legit, and one isn’t, but it’s not easy to tell. I worry that with these credit card machines everywhere, people will become complacent and simply accept them, rather than remain vigilant for fraud.
Regardless, it’s pretty amazing where you can use credit cards these days. What unusual or surprising places have you used a credit card recently?
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