As the world moves towards cashless payments using cards or mobile devices regulators in several US states are pointing out that an outright ban on cash discriminates against those without credit or bank accounts, and raises concerns about privacy and data security.
The penalties in the proposed bills range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. In the New Jersey bill, they could go up to $5,000 for a second offense. A spokesman said the governor was considering whether to sign the legislation. Ms. Pou said that business groups and Amazon had expressed opposition to the bill, and that she had worked with businesses to include exceptions like airports, parking facilities, car rental companies and any “internet-based transaction.” She added that she had asked Amazon, which is operating five pop-up stores and one bookstore in New Jersey, to come up with ideas for how they could serve those without a bank account, but that she had not heard back. Amazon declined to comment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/business/cashless-payments.html