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As More Cities Ban Cashless Businesses, New York Wants to Follow
by applewood

    The lawmakers behind these bills across the country are concerned that the cashless trend discriminates against low-income residents and people of color, as communities of color have higher percentages of unbanked: In California, 20.4 percent of black households and 14.6 percent of Latinx households are unbanked, and Philadelphia’s rates are similar to New York’s.

    The federal Civil Rights Act mandates that all persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.

    A business can refuse service as long as their policies aren’t purposely discriminating against a person’s race, religion, sex, or national origin, which owners of cashless institutions would argue their policies aren’t. A number of cities posit their laws as preventing discrimination against low-income people, but low-income people aren’t a protected group.