HB28 Alabama 2021 Session

Under federal law, United States coins and currency are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues. However, there is no federal requirement that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. According to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, private businesses may develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law that says otherwise.

This bill would prohibit retail establishments from discriminating against a cash buyer by requiring that buyer to use credit in order to purchase goods or services.

This bill would also require retail establishments experiencing a cash or coin shortage to provide store credit in the amount of any unavailable change due to a customer in lieu of exact change.

Relating to retail sales; to prohibit retail establishments from requiring customers to make purchase transactions with credit rather than with legal tender; and to require retail establishments to extend store credit in the amount of change due to the customer when that customer makes a purchase using legal tender and the establishment is experiencing a cash or coin shortage.