One of the funny things about being back in America is me being shocked that everywhere I shop they always have change. Today, I bought a small french fry at the local "Village Snack Bar" for $4 and had no choice but to pay with a 100 dollar bill. No problem sir. This would never happen in Thailand.????

4 dollahs for one small French fry? Things there are even worse than I thought!

The USA seems to be a bit behind Thailand , many people in Thailand don't use cash anymore , even 10 Baht hot dog sellers on the streets use iphones to make cash less payments .

   Do people still use cash in the USA ?

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

The USA seems to be a bit behind Thailand , many people in Thailand don't use cash anymore , even 10 Baht hot dog sellers on the streets use iphones to make cash less payments .

   Do people still use cash in the USA ?

So tell me how do you pay if you don't have a smart phone

5 minutes ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

So tell me how do you pay if you don't have a smart phone

They still accept cash if you don't have a smart phone 

Not true everywhere in the US.

I see lots of shops with signs that say "No bills larger than $20".

As far as having no choice, you have a choice when you get cash, I never get larger than a $20 bill when getting cash. Most shops if you try to pay with a $100 bill you will be directed to the ATM they all have and instructed to get smaller bills.

And as others have said using plastic is often more convenient for everybody..

 

1 minute ago, cdemundo said:

Not true everywhere in the US.

I see lots of shops with signs that say "No bills larger than $20".

As far as having no choice, you have a choice when you get cash, I never get larger than a $20 bill when getting cash.

And as others have said using plastic is often more convenient for everybody..

 

I am in OZ now and have not paid in cash for many years I just use my tap and go debit card but pay 4 dollars for small fries is robbery, I can buy a burger and fries and softdrink for just 4 bucks

Although  100 $ is equivalent to about six hours work in the USA at minimum wage . 

Six hours work in Thailand would be about 240 Baht , most shops would have change of 260 Baht in Thailand .

   1000 Baht would be three days salary for  working Thais on minimum pay .

Three days salary for an American would be about 500 $ .

Would all small shops in the USA always have change of 500 $ bill ?

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Although  100 $ is equivalent to about six hours work in the USA at minimum wage . 

Six hours work in Thailand would be about 240 Baht , most shops would have change of 260 Baht in Thailand .

   1000 Baht would be three days salary for  working Thais on minimum pay .

Three days salary for an American would be about 500 $ .

Would all small shops in the USA always have change of 500 $ bill ?

Good point. I often pay with 1000 baht at convenience stores to get change but I try to spend at least 100 baht or it would be too rude. I'm surprised that they only very rarely ask for smaller money. 

I order a lot of delivery food in Thailand and prefer to use cash because that brings me better service more consistently. (I won't go into the details, but it's real.) But it's not reasonable to expect drivers to always have change and it's almost impossible to always have change myself. So even with flakier service, I've switched to mostly cards. For situations that I deem more problematic, I still use cash. 

Don't try that in a Taxi. Here or there.

At least you can use a card. Where I stay in US there is a fee for it though 

The last time I was in the U.S. (not recently) the Starbucks I went to was a big youth hangout (not paying with cash) and when I ordered "large" (venti/schmenti -- we're not in Italy) black coffees instead of milk sugar drinks and paid in cash including coins, I was treated disdainfully as an ancient relic. I was giving them exact change so no idea if they could change 100. Which brings up another difference. Respect for elders in the U.S. is not a big thing. 

Before the coffee snobs have a cow, Starbucks has decent brewed coffee, whether you believe it or not. At home, I brew my own. 

Picked up a bagel and a giant black and white cookie on 8th Ave on Friday then

popped into this Sbux on 53rd st and 7th Avenue. Looks as is for mobile orders only

I got the major eye-roll from miss Barista when asked if they took manual orders I didn't

have a mobile phone on me. Who leaves their room without their "cellphone"?

 

 

1 minute ago, Captain Monday said:

Picked up a bagel and a giant black and white cookie on 8th Ave on Friday then

popped into this Sbux on 53rd st and 7th Avenue. Looks as is for mobile orders only

I got the major eye-roll from miss Barista when asked if they took manual orders I didn't

have a mobile phone on me. Who leaves their room without their "cellphone"?

 

 

Covid of course has accelerated this but it's not as if they'll go back after Covid, 

1 hour ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

So tell me how do you pay if you don't have a smart phone

or a bank account...

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I order a lot of delivery food in Thailand and prefer to use cash because that brings me better service more consistently. (I won't go into the details, but it's real.) But it's not reasonable to expect drivers to always have change and it's almost impossible to always have change myself. So even with flakier service, I've switched to mostly cards. For situations that I deem more problematic, I still use cash. 

I've noticed the 'Tuk' app (and possibly the other delivery apps) asks if you require change from the driver when you indicate a cash payment- I'd imagine that limits the potential pool of drivers and I avoid it.;)

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

4 dollahs for one small French fry? Things there are even worse than I thought!

This is not a McDonalds like establishment. It's a step above that.  But in general food prices have skyrocketed in the US. It's crazy.

I bet it was a large fry….orders are incredibly large….maybe guilt due high prices….

6 hours ago, Farang123 said:

Today, I bought a small french fry at the local "Village Snack Bar" for $4 and had no choice but to pay with a 100 dollar bill. No problem sir. This would never happen in Thailand.????

Never been to a 7-11?

2 hours ago, flare said:

I've noticed the 'Tuk' app (and possibly the other delivery apps) asks if you require change from the driver when you indicate a cash payment- I'd imagine that limits the potential pool of drivers and I avoid it.;)

Everyone pays using their mobile bank app these days, the drivers all have a phone.

5 hours ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

I am in OZ now and have not paid in cash for many years I just use my tap and go debit card but pay 4 dollars for small fries is robbery, I can buy a burger and fries and softdrink for just 4 bucks

I don't have a debit card ........ but I do have a smart phone.

Some Starbucks in Bangkok went cashless now too, absolutely no way to pay using cash

6 hours ago, Farang123 said:

Today, I bought a small french fry at the local "Village Snack Bar" for $4

Are you enjoying your stay in America. For sure you are a tourist or troll. No American would say "a" small french fry, or for that matter a "Village snack bar"

6 hours ago, Farang123 said:

had no choice but to pay with a 100 dollar bill. No problem sir. This would never happen in Thailand.????

Of course not.  Shops here do not do foreign exchange US 100 dollar bills.  Never have.

It always amazed me why in the US, with twenties in the register, many say they can't change a hundred.... what else are you going to do with twenties besides make change?

1 hour ago, marin said:

Are you enjoying your stay in America. For sure you are a tourist or troll. No American would say "a" small french fry, or for that matter a "Village snack bar"

He sounds more like a tourist than a troll.

   "Cheap as chips" would have given his game away.

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Everyone pays using their mobile bank app these days, the drivers all have a phone.

I guess I'm the lone outlier, then- I generally pay the drivers with cash.  That said, the 'do you require change' option exists when ordering, so someone must be using it (though I avoid it and generally have exact payment and a tip ready to go).

6 hours ago, flare said:

I've noticed the 'Tuk' app (and possibly the other delivery apps) asks if you require change from the driver when you indicate a cash payment- I'd imagine that limits the potential pool of drivers and I avoid it.;)

Grab, Food Panda, and Lineman do not.

The dominant app in Latin America Rappi does.

8 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The last time I was in the U.S. (not recently) the Starbucks I went to was a big youth hangout (not paying with cash) and when I ordered "large" (venti/schmenti -- we're not in Italy) black coffees instead of milk sugar drinks and paid in cash including coins, I was treated disdainfully as an ancient relic. I was giving them exact change so no idea if they could change 100. Which brings up another difference. Respect for elders in the U.S. is not a big thing. 

Before the coffee snobs have a cow, Starbucks has decent brewed coffee, whether you believe it or not. At home, I brew my own. 

It was probably because most Starbucks customers use their phone apps to pay now.

 

Those who do not use their credit or debit card.

 

I have not seen a customer pay with cash at a Starbucks (in the USA) in over 7-10 years.

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Grab, Food Panda, and Lineman do not.

The dominant app in Latin America Rappi does.

I might have to start paying electronically- it seems like I'm a bit of a dinosaur.????