
Philadelphia Just Banned Most Cashless Stores - oedmarap
https://gizmodo.com/philadelphia-just-banned-most-cashless-stores-a-first-1833145078
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SilasX
Merge with yesterday's discussion?

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19328547](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19328547)

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dang
Done. Thanks!

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stirfrykitty
Cashless comes with problems that cannot be avoided. It's easy to trace
cashless. What with more and more entities interested in an individual's
purchases (insurance companies car/health/house), being able to buy things in
cash is important.

There are certain things I will only pay cash for to avoid the stigma,
insurance issues, and some others: booze, fast food, firearms (face-to-face
private transaction, which is legal in TX), and tobacco. All of these are paid
for with cash.

There is an increasing interest from various companies to learn who buys this
stuff. Everyone is trawling the databases to learn more about you. I pay cash
at the supermarket for everything, because your purchase history is sold. I
know a couple of people in marketing and a couple in the insurance industry,
and these people have talked with me about this stuff.

Hospitals and insurance companies are now trawling social media and other
sources to get dirt on people and to see how their incomes and habits stack up
for a variety of reasons. Articles abound on this behavior. I'd rather not be
on the radar of anyone for my purchase habits. Cash, for now, allows people to
enjoy their peccadilloes without fear of their insurance going up or other bad
stigmas. I have "nothing to hide" as the saying goes, but I'm private and none
of this is anyone's business.

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otterley
Source article: [https://www.wsj.com/articles/philadelphia-is-first-u-s-
city-...](https://www.wsj.com/articles/philadelphia-is-first-u-s-city-to-ban-
cashless-stores-11551967201)

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matthewfelgate
One of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

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dang
Ok, but please don't post unsubstantive comments here.

