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  • Has Amtrak gone cashless?

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1579948  by wigwagfan
 
charlesriverbranch wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:16 pm So much for "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private", then. The Supreme Court has ruled that Amtrak is a government agency, yet this government agency doesn't even accept the government's own bills.
Funny, because even the IRS won't accept cash. Instead, they force me to use a service provider (at an additional cost). If I walk into an IRS owned, operated and staffed facility with cash in payment for a tax debt, it will be refused.
 #1580039  by RRspatch
 
My local Walmart has a large kiosk with all kinds of pre paid cards that can be "loaded" at checkout. While most of them are for restaurants a number of them are for pre paid debit cards. A while ago someone posted on Facebook a picture of an Amtrak pre paid card but I have yet to see one of those. I'm sure a lot of other places such as Target, Costco, Kroger and others sell these cards as well. Cash is dying.
 #1580042  by David Benton
 
I don't know about the USA , but here, Old(superseded ) bank notes are only accepted at the reserve bank , after a long period of phase out . As there are no dates on the notes and coins, the legal tender aspect must be subject to conditions. there are also conditions to what damaged notes would be acccepted.
 #1580045  by Railjunkie
 
I still prefer the use of cash. Why?? In the past 3 months a bank card that I use to buy gas at the same gas station every week and to pay my cell phone bill has been hacked twice. Sorry kids cash cant be hacked. I will keep writing checks for all my bills and cashing a check for walking around money.
 #1580062  by danib62
 
You can lose cash and when you lose it, it's gone whereas if you lose a credit card you call them up and they cancel it and you're not on the hook for any illicit purchases.
 #1580069  by WashingtonPark
 
RRspatch wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:49 pm My local Walmart has a large kiosk with all kinds of pre paid cards that can be "loaded" at checkout. While most of them are for restaurants a number of them are for pre paid debit cards. A while ago someone posted on Facebook a picture of an Amtrak pre paid card but I have yet to see one of those. I'm sure a lot of other places such as Target, Costco, Kroger and others sell these cards as well. Cash is dying.
Businesses love this. If a dollar or two is left on these cards by a million customers that's 1 or 2 million dollars they get to keep, plus the interest they make on it. And who has time to register all those things? If you lose it, more cash for the business. It's also a great way to take advantage of the poor who don't have credit or a bank account. Those pennies that get left on the card add up. They'll probably make you start using their own private prepaid debit cards and make you load cash off your credit card onto it, then they can split the 3 dollar fee with the credit card company.
 #1580106  by andrewjw
 
Railjunkie wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 7:56 am I still prefer the use of cash. Why?? In the past 3 months a bank card that I use to buy gas at the same gas station every week and to pay my cell phone bill has been hacked twice. Sorry kids cash cant be hacked. I will keep writing checks for all my bills and cashing a check for walking around money.
might want to check out the gas pump for a skimmer... lol
 #1580116  by eolesen
 
I worked for an airline that went cashless onboard for snacks and alcohol. Sales increased by 15% the first month, due to less opportunities to pocket the cash by unscrupulous employees and opportunity for those with an empty billfold to partake.

The cost of handling cash isn't insignificant. You need a way to store it, make deposits, and someone has to transport it to the bank. The cost of digital payments usually works out lower for companies the size of Amtrak.

When traveling internationally, being cashless is great. Makes expense reports real easy and I never had to worry about that days exchange rates.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 #1580144  by STrRedWolf
 
andrewjw wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 11:36 pm might want to check out the gas pump for a skimmer... lol
You got to worry about ATMs. I pulled cash out because most artists w/tables at conventions don't carry a card reader like Square or Paypal. So you gotta have cash... and this ATM was one of those non-bank backed ATMs. May be spec but it must of been hacked, because my card got compromised and I had to get it changed out.

To this day, I aim for the bank-backed ATMs.
 #1580151  by BandA
 
You also need to read and reconcile your credit card bill each month. Each vendor you give your card to is a potential hacking point. Credit card transactions are still very expensive for small merchants. And cash forces discipline - if you don't have it you can't spend it unlike credit. Also pandemic, also there is a cash shortage for some unknown reason, which is why Walmart and other stores are now cashless at their self-checkouts.
 #1580152  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Although I have a bank debit card, I do not carry it with me. For my daily life, now that both the Barber Shop and Laundromat take credit cards, the only "daily life" cash transaction I have is tips at the car wash.

Cash is sinister; wonder why when I have had tradesmen at my house saying "could you make the check payable to (a party other than your business)"? I decline - and they are not invited back again!!!
 #1580208  by Railjunkie
 
andrewjw wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 11:36 pm
Railjunkie wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 7:56 am I still prefer the use of cash. Why?? In the past 3 months a bank card that I use to buy gas at the same gas station every week and to pay my cell phone bill has been hacked twice. Sorry kids cash cant be hacked. I will keep writing checks for all my bills and cashing a check for walking around money.
might want to check out the gas pump for a skimmer... lol
Pumps are new with chip reader and scanner plus I always check by pulling on or rubbing a finger over the reader. Was raised cash is king don't give out your SSN and always know where your wallet is. Well in 54 yrs Ive carried thousands of dollars of cash never lost a dime even during my hard partying days of college. Pool hall ponies and the card table a slightly different story. Wife cleaned that up for me in a hurry but I digress.

Still carry a brown leather tri fold that is a replacement for the brown leather tri fold that my father gave my when I turned 16 for my drivers license. Yup still carry cash and one CC for emergencies. No more bank card for gas I will just get the extra steps in and pre pay. The more info you put out into the hinterland of the electronic world the easier it is for things to go wrong.

Companies spend millions upon billions of dollars on cyber security yet they still get hacked. When is the last time a US Mint was hacked???

If and when I travel I load up a prepaid Visa card and use that cause you cant find AMEX travelers cheques anymore
 #1580231  by Ken W2KB
 
Railjunkie wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:38 pm Companies spend millions upon billions of dollars on cyber security yet they still get hacked. When is the last time a US Mint was hacked???
The US Government is 'hacked' every time when someone finds and retains cash someone lost, or is paid in cash, and the cash find or payment transaction is not reported on the cash recipient's federal and state income tax returns.
 #1580233  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Thank you Mr. Brown for so eloquently stating my thoughts regarding the unscrupulous use of cash.

Funny how in my practice as a CPA how easy it was to "catch 'em". "Why can't I tie your Receipts with what the Bank reports on the Statement?" "Uh, I don't know; must be mystery money".

In common with many a homeowner, I've had tradesmen give me the "could you make the check out to....". Wonder why they are refused and not invited back.

I have to wonder, Mr. Junkie; was that you I was in line behind at the Flamingo Hotel in Vegas a few years back?

Finally and again; that paper stuff is sinister; why Amtrak feels obliged to accept it again when no other intercity commercial transportation provider does so, escapes me.