The bank card, which nevertheless has new advantages, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, is overtaken by cash payment. Indeed, payment in cash remains the preferred method for the French. Half of point-of-sale transactions are paid in cash in France in 2022, according to the Banque de France.
The choice of payment in cash can be explained in several ways. This payment benefits from undeniable advantages, in particular with regard to anonymity and the protection of privacy. In addition, the possibility of immediate payment and better monitoring of expenses are also part of the advantages of paying by notes or coins.
When you go to the bakery, paying with coins or notes is a French habit. This is why almost all traders have a cash register with cash. It is theoretically impossible for your merchant to decline a cash payment. And yet, according to the Monetary and Financial Code, some specific situations should not be overlooked.
According to article L112-5 of the Monetary and Financial Code, the person who buys a good or a service must have enough money on him to top up. The merchant therefore has the right to refuse to give change to his customer, if the latter does not have enough money. As the government site Public Service explains, “the creditor may refuse cash payment if he does not have enough change”.
Another refusal scenario depends on the technical means available at the time of payment. Apart from the fact that the merchant does not have the funds to give you change, it can also happen when the cash register is not working. Whether this outage is temporary or permanent, the merchant can still continue his activity, but must however specify to his affected customers that he cannot give change if the top-up is not made.
Apart from these cases of refusal of payment, certain cash payments may be capped. Like taxes, whose cash envelope is limited to 300 euros, the payment of a professional is limited to 1,000 euros, unless the buyer does not have payment alternatives.
As stipulated by the Public Service site, coins or banknotes deemed to be in poor condition can also be refused, as can a payment made with more than fifty coins for a single payment. Note that if a merchant refuses you a cash payment outside of these reasons, he risks a fine of 150 euros, as explained by Femme Actuelle.