# Cash/Debit Card for iPhone 4 in Apple Store?



## tacsniper (Aug 27, 2007)

Does anyone know if in the US did the Apple stores allow cash/debit card as a form of payment? I know Apple initially refused cash for iPad in US, but later change their policy, but what about iPhone 4? I remember same thing with 3G, they refused cash as payment in their store. I hope we can at least pay by debit in Canada.


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## jakey (Jul 8, 2008)

Honestly, I've seen this mentioned before but I cannot for the life of me understand how it is legal for ANY retailer to refuse cash for payment for ANYTHING. I can see possibly needing a credit card for ID but how can you turn down cash?


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## ondre (Jun 15, 2010)

jakey said:


> Honestly, I've seen this mentioned before but I cannot for the life of me understand how it is legal for ANY retailer to refuse cash for payment for ANYTHING. I can see possibly needing a credit card for ID but how can you turn down cash?


There was the whole mess about the client who was refused when she wanted to pay cash.

AppleInsider | Apple repeals no-cash policy, gives woman free iPad for her troubles

Not sure if the policy was only repealed for iPads or for everything.


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

jakey said:


> Honestly, I've seen this mentioned before but I cannot for the life of me understand how it is legal for ANY retailer to refuse cash for payment for ANYTHING. I can see possibly needing a credit card for ID but how can you turn down cash?


As also previously mentioned, companies can accept or refuse any form of payment they see fit. It's not illegal in any capacity.


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## jakey (Jul 8, 2008)

Ok, bear with me here. I _completely_ understand if there's a question about the cash being counterfeit, or a credit card being stolen. Or retailers that accept cash only, because they're charged for using debit or credit machines, etc.

But cash is legal tender. Why would anyone not accept legitimate cash for a product?


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## tacsniper (Aug 27, 2007)

Well Apple definitely have a right to refuse you service if you want to make a fuss about it in the store... is it stupid that they deny cash for sales, yes... but can they... they sure can.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

jakey said:


> But cash is legal tender. Why would anyone not accept legitimate cash for a product?


I guess you missed the big discussion we had about this a while back.
Blew my mind too - but "legal tender" does not obligate the merchant to accept cash as payment - at least not in Canada or the US.


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## kkritsilas (Mar 1, 2010)

In Canada, you do not have the choice about accepting cash for payment. It devalues the currency, making it less liquid and making "plastic" money more valuable. Not permitted, by law. I don't know if that is the case in the US, or even if it a federal level or state level issue there, but I'm pretty sure that it is probably the case in the US as well.

You can refuse a credit or debit card, you have to accept legal tender (which leaves out counterfeit bills).

Kostas


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## Thundaboom (Jul 8, 2010)

Ironically, the person who asked to pay in cash for the iPad was mentally retarted.


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## thadley (Jul 8, 2008)

They weren't accepting cash because, to prevent someone buying up tons of iPads and reselling them for insanely high prices, they were tracking credit card purchases.

Even if they do this with the iPhone 4, I'd be really surprised if they didn't accept debit from Canadians, as it's trackable and pretty standard.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

kkritsilas said:


> In Canada, you do not have the choice about accepting cash for payment. It devalues the currency, making it less liquid and making "plastic" money more valuable. Not permitted, by law.


Are you making this up?
Last time this was discussed a lot of people were looking for this "law" in Canada and came up with nothing - just official statements by various agencies that were listed in that thread:
http://www.ehmac.ca/ipad-apple-tablet/86336-apple-refusing-cash-payment-3g-ipad-4.html
If there is a Canadian law, please provide a link to it - they are all on the net.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

kkritsilas said:


> In Canada, you do not have the choice about accepting cash for payment. It devalues the currency, making it less liquid and making "plastic" money more valuable. Not permitted, by law. I don't know if that is the case in the US, or even if it a federal level or state level issue there, but I'm pretty sure that it is probably the case in the US as well.
> 
> You can refuse a credit or debit card, you have to accept legal tender (which leaves out counterfeit bills).
> 
> Kostas


They can refuse anything they want to. They have no legal obligation whatsoever to accept any form of cash for any private transaction.

I'd very much like to see the law you refer to, as the RCMP clearly state a merchant is free to require certain payment methods:
Currency Counterfeiting - Frequently Asked Questions


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## kkritsilas (Mar 1, 2010)

I took only a cursory search on google, and found this:

Website is: E LAW | The Development and Legal Nature of Payment Facilities

"In many countries, including Australia, the law positively states that cash is always a valid and effective means of payment. Section 36 of the Reserve Bank Act 1959 provides: "Australian notes are a legal tender throughout Australia". This means that payment by cash is the default form of valid payment. Unless the parties agree otherwise, cash can be tendered to effectively repay debts, such that the creditor is obliged to accept it as satisfaction of any amount immediately due.[58] The creditor could not later claim that the debt was still outstanding, as the cash tendered would be effective to satisfy the borrower's obligation to pay. (Of course, if for some reason the debt is not capable of repayment at that time, such as in the case of a fixed term loan, the mere tender of cash would not override such a contractual arrangement.)[59]"

In general, if you state up front that cash is not accepted as payment, then you can refuse cash payment. Making up "no cash payment" rules on the fly is not legal. This is why you can see signs that say that bills larger than $20 are not accepted in many small stores. If a similar sign saying no cash payment was permitted, then the seller would be OK. Refusing cash payment with no notification of any type is NOT.

Kostas


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

kkritsilas said:


> Not permitted, by law.
> 
> Kostas


Dead wrong. No such law exists and anyone can refuse currency as payment at any time for any reason.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

kkritsilas said:


> I took only a cursory search on google, and found this:
> 
> Website is: E LAW | The Development and Legal Nature of Payment Facilities
> 
> ...


So you did a quick Google, found an Australian banking law and thought you'd apply it to Canada as well?


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## jakey (Jul 8, 2008)

kkritsilas said:


> In Canada, you do not have the choice about accepting cash for payment. It devalues the currency, making it less liquid and making "plastic" money more valuable. Not permitted, by law. I don't know if that is the case in the US, or even if it a federal level or state level issue there, but I'm pretty sure that it is probably the case in the US as well.
> 
> You can refuse a credit or debit card, you have to accept legal tender (which leaves out counterfeit bills).
> 
> Kostas


Thank you, this is what I was getting at.



thadley said:


> They weren't accepting cash because, to prevent someone buying up tons of iPads and reselling them for insanely high prices, they were tracking credit card purchases.
> 
> Even if they do this with the iPhone 4, I'd be really surprised if they didn't accept debit from Canadians, as it's trackable and pretty standard.


Thank you, this explains why they would do that. But what's to stop someone from using multiple debit/credit cards to bypass the restriction? Not arguing, just wondering.


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## Mrsam (Jan 14, 2006)

John Clay said:


> So you did a quick Google, found an Australian banking law and thought you'd apply it to Canada as well?


Snippity Snap.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

jakey said:


> Thank you, this explains why they would do that. But what's to stop someone from using multiple debit/credit cards to bypass the restriction? Not arguing, just wondering.


Nothing - although people wouldn't typically have more than a few credit cards, not a 100 to buy 100 units.
This was a stupid idea anyway in my opinion.


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## jakey (Jul 8, 2008)

krs said:


> Nothing - although people wouldn't typically have more than a few credit cards, not a 100 to buy 100 units.
> This was a stupid idea anyway in my opinion.


Agreed!


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