John Fetterman introduces bill to block businesses from going cashless

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman wants to make it illegal for brick-and-mortar businesses to refuse cash payments.

The Pennsylvania Democrat, along with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R., N.D.), introduced the “Payment Choice Act of 2025″ last week. The bill would require any in-person business at a physical location to accept cash in amounts up to and including $500 per transaction.

Stores would also be barred from charging cash-paying customers a higher price than those not paying with cash.

“It’s simple: if you’re open for business in America, you should take U.S. dollars,” Fetterman said in a news release. “We have millions of people in this country who don’t have access to bank accounts, and they must be able to go shopping with their hard-earned dollars.”

Proponents of the bill say it protects low-income Americans from discrimination.

“While the majority of American households have access to financial services, 4.5% of U.S. households do not have a checking or savings account,” the release said. “Those without access to financial services are more likely to have lower incomes, less education, or be a member of a racial or ethnic minority group.”

The bill makes an exception for businesses that provide customers with a “device that converts cash into prepaid cards on the premises.” It also temporarily exempts businesses lacking the cash to make change or experiencing a system failure that prevents the processing of cash payments.

For the five-year period after the bill is enacted, businesses will not be required to accept payments in denominations of $50 or larger.

In 2019, Philadelphia became the first major U.S. city to ban cashless businesses, with an ordinance prohibiting most retail locations from refusing cash payments or charging cash-paying customers an additional fee. Some businesses, like parking lots and garages, wholesale clubs, and rental companies were exempt from the requirement.