Barclays Center Is Going To Start Refusing To Serve People Who Try To Pay With Cash
Source - The Barclays Center is the latest in a growing list of sports venues to phase out cash purchases despite backlash from consumers and opposition from lawmakers.
Home to the Brooklyn Nets and the Islanders, Barclays has quietly stopped accepting cash at most of its 28 concession stands and eateries, according to lawmakers who have talked with the stadium about the move.
The Brooklyn arena is not the first to phase out greenbacks. Earlier this year, the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Falcons both announced they will no longer accept hard currency at their sporting venues in exchange for hot dogs, beer or anything else they sell.
The move has visitors to the Barclays Center complaining on Twitter.
“Barclays Center food concessions are card only and it bothers me a lot,” one Nets fan griped in January.
“I realized this when I went to a Nets game on Monday and tried to break a $20 so I could have a tip to get my car out of the garage and couldn’t find a booth that would take cash,” a NJ resident tweeted, also in January.
“I was at Barclays center for Michelle Obama’s event in December and the woman ahead of me was willing to pay almost $20 for a goddam beer and they turned her away cuz she only had cash,” someone tweeted this month.
Proponents, including Barclays, say eliminating cash leads to shorter, faster lines and less theft. “We have found that cash transactions take 50 percent more time to process than card transactions,” the arena said in a statement.
I’ve noticed this happening more and more. Restaurants and bars just flat out refusing to accept cash. To be honest, I’m not sure what to think. Part of me doesn’t give a shit because I rarely have cash on me anyways, but the other part of me feels like when I do have cash I should be able to use it. I was at lunch the other day and when the waiter (cashier) told me I couldn’t pay with cash it pissed me off. Like my money wasn’t good enough for them. What if I didn’t have card? Would I have had to give the food back even though they already made it? What if I was at a real restaurant and already ate the food and didn’t have a credit card to pay? Then what? Do I have to puke it up?
There has to be an ulterior motive ($$) for them wanting to stop accepting cash. Which brings up this interesting point…all three of the major arenas that banned cash are owned by the same company, Levy Restaurants.
The Brooklyn arena is not the first to phase out greenbacks. Earlier this year, the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Falcons both announced they will no longer accept hard currency at their sporting venues in exchange for hot dogs, beer or anything else they sell.
All three venues rely on the same food service provider, Levy Restaurants, which told The Post that “multiple” food vendors at Barclays will still accept cash. But neither Levy nor Barclays would provide a number.
Is Levy Restaurants in cahoots with the credit card companies? Who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a cash benefit to them going cashless (no pun intended).
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that cash takes longer to process and slows the line down, but places should still be required to accept it knowing that some people either don’t have credit cards or simply don’t want to use them. Actually, come to think of it credit cards don’t even save that much time because they all have that stupid fucking chip that takes an hour to process. Whatever.
Luckily, lawmakers are starting to take action.
The move comes as lawmakers across the country — including in NY — are looking at banning mandatory cashless transactions.
New Jersey banned the practice last week, while Philadelphia passed a law requiring most retailers to accept cash. Atlanta, San Francisco and New York legislators are considering similar bans, which could also put a serious crimp into Amazon’s plans to open thousands of cashless, cashier-less stores across the country.
Barclays brass has met with City Council members to dissuade them from passing similar legislation — and to seek an exemption for businesses with reverse ATMs if a bill is passed, according to Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), who is sponsoring the bill.
Will Barclays convince legislators to stop a similar bill from being passed? Absolutely. But at least they’re trying. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to take out a bunch of cash and try and use it at various cashless location throughout the city to fight the man. You’re welcome.