OK, it is possible/plausible that I am the ONLY one irritated by this. The response rate on this will be our measuring stick.

I am holding a $100 bill in my hand as I type (no big deal), but on that note it clearly states, "This note is legal tender for all debts public and private."

That however doesn't seem to make ANY difference today!!

More and more, I am seeing signs that read,

"We can only accept bills of $20 or less." Are you kidding me??? This was the sign on the gas pump this evening.....and on just about every "cash" register I see.

So I ask you: Is our cash legal tender or not these days??

Signed: Grumpy mod34!

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"You're messin' up my Zen"

I believe the avoidance of big bills is because of counterfeiting. If the business takes bogus money, their bank will bounce it and the biz is screwed. Many businesses still accept big bills. My BIL paid our dinner tab on the Redneck Riviera 2 weeks ago with a Benjamin.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

When I owned my guitar shop, I accepted all the C notes I could. Easy enough to spot fakes and I kept ample change so as not to lose a sale.
Besides, they were easier to stuff in my socks when my partner wasn't looking.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

The question remains though......is the note good for all debts or not? If not, remove it from the darn note. This one, for whatever reason, is really stuck in my craw tonight!

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"You're messin' up my Zen"

Calm down. I can help make life easier for ya.
I'll give you four EASY-to-spend 20's for every one you got.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

A few years ago, while in college, I worked part time in a video rental store.

There are few things more frustrating than getting a brand new cash register drawer with a few tens, fives, and ones, plus assorted change... and then having your first customer pay for a $2.11 rental with a 100 dollar bill.

Then, when you ask them to wait for the manager to open the safe to get proper change, they get all huffy. We'd take the 100, but you'd have to wait for the 10 minute delay on the safe.

Plus a lot of places do it in hopes of avoiding counterfeit bills.

I agree though, not being able to use it can be annoying, buuuut... at the same time trying to give someone back $97.89 change is pretty darn annoying when you don't have anything larger than a 10.

As a customer, I feel bad asking someone to break a 100 for a small total in a place where the average transaction is less than $20. If I'm wanting to pay in cash with a 50 or 100 in such a place, I ask if they can do it, because I've been in their shoes. I do it as a courtesy.

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- The Federalist #46 -

I'd have to argue that it's not their fault they are trying to combat counterfeit bills, as well as when they carry that much money to cover change, the money they would lose in a robbery would be more. You're that upset? Go to a bank and get change. I do think if the $100 dollar bill is close to covering the debt, then it shouldn't be an issue if change can be made (change under $20).

Shopkeepers operate under the "invitation to treat" doctrine. Although your currency is "legal tender" the method of payment has to be agreed upon by both parties. If they will not take anything larger than a $20 and all you have is a $100 then the transaction is terminated. There is no legal recourse. All you can do is voice displeasure and refuse to do further business with them. I know, it stinks.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I get $66 at the pump but I can't pay for it with a $100 bill?

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I asked this question of a lawyer once and I will try to remember why it is legal to not accept certain bills. The business owner choses not to accept certain bills for various reasons, however most time when purchasing an item an item is not yet purchased thus no debt has yet been incurred. Thus the owner of the object to be purchased has the option to limit the type of compensation he choses for his product. However is not posted that certain types of currency is not accepted, and the product has already been handed over, then the type of payment cant be refused as an actual debt has occurred. DONT count on this as my memory isn't what it used to be, and it used to be terrible.

I can remember when we had real silver coins of getting a $20 bill for my birthday. I went into a shop somewhere in Montana and bought something for a dollar and got 19 silver dollars back in change. It made me walk with a list....

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I never, and I mean never, tell my wife when I have one of those notes in my hand...

Joking of course.

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Rather be outdoors

I am sure they will take your legal tender $100 bill, as long as you don't insist on change.

Sort of sounds like some offers on the forum!

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"You're messin' up my Zen"

Sennd it to me, I'll check it out as to legality.

As a private party, the only way I will accept a $100 bill is either from someone that I know or if I specifically ask for them at the local bank.

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A closed mouth gathers no foot

In the same line of thought, a $2 bill is legal tender but try paying for hard goods or especially lunches with your $2 bills. People, especially young people have never seen money like that and will refuse to accept the bill because they thiink it is counterfiet. They will argue long and loud and even threaten to call the police if you push the matter.

Charlie

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SWCA # 2294

A) I have yet to see a sign like that unless it's at a Chinese dive restaurant. I can see how it's a PITA to break a $100 for $2 worth of Hot and Sour soup.

B) it says "legal tender" not "recipient must accept it". If you think they must the your $100 then I'd like to buy a handgun from you but pay you in all pennies. After all it is legal tender

The stores around here don't give a 100 bill a second look.

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Don

In addition to counterfeit risk, the merchants often try to limit cash on hand for security reasons. The ability to take a $100 bill messes that up, and I'd be really hesitant about having a situation where a manager had to open the safe in front of a customer who may or may not be up to no good.

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NHI, 10-8.

You are correct. The bill is legal tender; BUT, do you want to go to the hassle of forcing the place to take it???

I'm guessing you would have to call the police. You would end up hiring a lawyer, etc.

I only carry 20's unless I'm going to a gun show....then I break out the 100's..............

MANY gas stations/convenience stores used to have a Drop Safe. They only keep a 100 or two in the register. When they get more than that, they put the extra in a little jar and drop it down a tube into the safe which they cannot open. A couple of $100 dollar bills would empty the register.
I haven't seen that in a while though. Probably because it now takes most of a 100 to fill up.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

What irritates me is when the goobermint won't accept its own money.

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Where's my dad's America?

LOL You should be a little more upset when they push you to use credit cards, heck you have to pay some bank so you can spend your own money plus the merchant has to pay the bank to accept your money. I always use cash at the markets and when they quit taking cash I will find another place to shop.

Bad thing about cash is if you carry too much the government has given themselves the right to steal it or make you go to court to prove it's not drug money.

You hardly see a $2 bill any more, several years ago I was in a store in NY city and when I took money out of my pocket the woman standing behind me said, is that a real $2 bill, I have never seen before, she offered me 5 bucks for it, I wished I had more. When you go to Monticello in Va, they give you your change in $2 bill's.

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Don

Time was you got a suspicious look when paying by check or CC. Now it's when you present a C-note (I recently had to explain what that is on another forum.)

My son & I used to go to Sports Clips to get our hair cut. The sign on their counter says please pay with cash when possible, but when I presented a C-note for $40 worth of hair cuts, they told me they didn't take bills over $20.

I had to go buy a magazine at Barnes & Noble to get change. I was sorely tempted to give it to the stylist as her tip, but it wasn't her fault.

That's too cool! One of our greatest Presidents got hosed on the currency thing. Alexander Hamilton gets his picture on the saw buck, & he couldn't even shoot!

Move to Las Vegas, Nevada. No problem paying for anything
with a C note.

If I was out of gas and they would only take 20s I would buy $20.10 worth of gas and give them two 20s. Then find a station that will take 100s and fill up. Larry

I do remember a few years ago filling up on a drive at 2 in the morning, 88 dollars and no sign on the pump but inside I find out their debit is out, don't take checks and won't take a hundred which was all the bills I had. I explained they should have put z sign up on the pump if they can't take debit and I didn't know what they wanted me to do. They called the cops who after hearing both sides looked at my bill and told them to take it or be cited for a non emergency 911 call.

it's funny to pay for lunch with $2 dollar bills then leave the tip in $1 dollar coins. I do it once in a while just to see the reactions.

I can certainly relate to this topic. Usually , when I cash my checks I get all Hundreds, simply because I would not be able to close my wallet any other way. I can't begin to tell you how many businesses
I have 'shut down' when I go to pay . I send those clerks scrambling .
They have to get a manager, or open the safe , or go next door , etc.
One time , at a large drug store chain, they didn't have enough in the register up front , in the parmacy, or the post office , so they had to send someone to the bank to get change .
I'm one of the last "dinosours" that uses cash , and much like a T-Rex, I wreck havoc and mayhem when I present ol Ben Franklin .

Lewis

The only strange look I've gotten recently with money was when my kid asked me for some money and I gave him a 5 dollar bill and said don't spend it all in one place.

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paws for friendship

I live in a little rural town of 7000. I drop $100 bills all the time at Walmart, the gas station and the drugstore. Nobody ever pays any attention to them. Probably everybody knows me and maybe that's different in the big cities.

This is it.

I used to help out at my in-laws family fruit/vegetable market on the weekends. It is not a big business and has a chronic problem keeping change in the register, especially on the weekends.

Invariably, some "big spender" would show up first thing Sunday morning and want to pay for $5.00 worth of apples with a $100 bill.

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You're shy a few manners.

Back in the day when $500 and $1000 bills were in circulation I bet it was a real biotch!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

Five Bucks, that will only buy him a few pieces of penny candy.

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Don

The brown marker. Don't you own one of those brown marker's that tells you if it is counterfeit? I usually check the 100's even when I get them at the bank.

I tried to get change for an $18 bill the other day. They said sure, do you want two $9s or three $6s?

I've been on both sides of the fence so I see where some are coming from but I lean heavily on agreeing with the storeowner's philosophy.

You don't get your c-notes from an ATM. You requested them from the bank teller.You then expect the businesses in town to make change for you.Do you then take the smaller bills back to the bank and exchange them for another c-note? I'd rather doubt it.

I know a lot of you try to make things easier for the merchant as evidenced in other threads here.If I buy something for $36 I'll try and give the person $41 so I don't take all their $1's.

If your wallet can't hold anything less than $100 bills than maybe it's time to clean out the clutter.My wallet is in a back pocket and the paper money is in a front pocket.

I have done well using either $20's or $50's depending on the purchase.Anything else is paid for by credit card.The checkbook never leaves the house.

We all have our own little quirks.Just figured I'd throw mine out there.

I rub dirt on my face, wear 1 shoe, stand out front@ Wally world and beg all day, dont ever get a $100 bill, ( just fiftys) oh well

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Rimfires Makes me "Insane"

You should try another store, in a better section of town.

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Don

I know a lot of you try to make things easier for the merchant as evidenced in other threads here.If I buy something for $36 I'll try and give the person $41 so I don't take all their $1's.

That really confuses many younger, well some older, clerks!
Especially the ones that must depend on the register to do the math for change.

Back in those days, prices were so much lower to boot.

My great grandfather used to say:
"When I was young, if you spent five dollars at the store, you would need a wagon to haul home all the things you bought. Now, you can spend five dollars and what you buy will fit in your vest pocket."

He said that in the early 1960s. What would he say now?

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You're shy a few manners.

Believe it or not, I don't entirely trust the electronic world. (It's true) There are always several $100 dollar bills in my wallet. I always ask if the vendor can change it. If not, I find someplace else. (I did leave a $100 dollar bill with a woman cause the Harley was empty, go to a bank and change another one)

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

Well, let's see, they're in business to make money, so it kinda behooves them to be able to accept payment.

If I need $500 cash for something, I'm not gonna carry 25 $20 bills. Maybe 5, but the rest is C-notes. Most ATMs don't allow you to withdraw more than $300, anyway.

I don't dare carry money in a front pocket. I reach for keys or a phone too often and it's too easy to drop. Only if it's in my watch pocket, but I usually have a knife there, or my wedding band if I need to take if off when working (not a bar or anything)

I vastly prefer paying cash. First it hurts, so it discourages over-spending. Not having the debit card prevents impulse buys, especially at the Gamder Moutain store less than mile from my office. Plus it's very hard to steal someone's account info off of a C-note:-)

Try giving pennies to the toll collectors on the NYS Thruway, if you want to get a lesson in attitude. I’m not talking about hundreds of pennies either just a few cents.

Years back got in a wizzing contest with one of those overpaid wonders and he totally refused to take 10 cents in pennies,(total bill was about $2.60 at the time) told me to come up with REAL money or just drive on through and the camera system would send me a bill. Being a triple A type personality and to end the debate I said fine and threw the 10 pennies into the booth and then drove through. That was about 15 years ago and no "camera generated" bill has arrived yet.

PS one of my good friends is a state trooper that patrols the thruway and when I told him the story he burst out laughing and said GOOD JOB!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I just read the US Treasury's take on this subject. According to them all US coinage and currency is legal tender for both public and private debt, but there is no federal law requiring a merchant or private individual to accept US currency as payment for a debt. An owner of an object could require payment in sea shells or tuna cans if he so desires. And they can limit types of US currency or coinage they will accept.

Actually, $3 used to be a popular denomination for US currency. For a *long* time, the rate for mailing a letter was 3 cents, so a sheet of 100 stamps cost $3, thus coins in that denomination were popular.

Actually it is a security matter as much as anything. Most of your smaller stores only keep a couple hundred in their registers for security purposes, if you give them a c note to pay a 4 dollar bill you wipe out the register. They also only keep a limited amount in the safe for the same reason so now someone has to take off and go to the bank and get more 1s, 5s and change. Walmart, which does 10s of thousands of dollars in business daily doesn't have a problem with this, your dollar stores, small cafes and c stores do. If the bill is $50 or $60 no problem, if you're just trying to break a hundred to use at some other store, that's a problem. I've stood in line behind people buying a pack of gum and paying with a hundred dollar bill at a 7-11.