JACKSONVILLE, FL, July 12, 2021 – The National ATM Council, Inc. (NAC), America's trade association representing U.S. independent ATM owners, operators, and suppliers, commends the introduction of the Payment Choice Act of 2021 by a large, diverse and bipartisan cross-section of Congress. This proposed legislation, spearheaded and formally introduced by Representatives Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and 28 other bipartisan original co-sponsors, preserves cash payment options for consumers' in-person purchases of goods and services at retail establishments throughout the U.S.
Bruce W. Renard, Executive Director of NAC, said, "NAC commends Congressmen Payne and Smith, and their many colleagues on both sides of the aisle, who are standing up together for the continued universal acceptance of U.S. currency as a payment option for all consumers in America. We appreciate their steadfast commitment to cash as a broad safety net for the millions of unbanked and underbanked Americans, as well as a vital means of personal protection for us all when it comes to maintaining the privacy of our personal financial practices and being assured of having a payment methods that always work."
Introduction of the Payment Choice Act of 2021 follows recent enactment of similar cash-acceptance legislation by a number of state and local jurisdictions around the nation, including New York City, San Francisco, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and most recently, Colorado. These laws all have received broad bipartisan support, in response to emerging refusals by some businesses to accept cash payments from their retail customers. A similar measure was introduced in the last Congress, attracting 56 bipartisan House co-sponsors, and a companion bipartisan bill was also introduced in the Senate. There has been growing support from both consumer and business quarters for another such measure to be introduced and enacted by Congress.
NAC Chair George Sarantopoulos, CEO of Access One Solutions, said, "the nature of this issue, namely preserving the universal acceptance and viability of U.S. currency here at home, presents one of a very few subjects on which all House and Senate members can and should agree."
"We applaud Congressmen Payne and Smith for leading the charge in preserving consumers' choice to pay with cash across America." Sarantopoulos continued. "digital currency is great, but cash must be preserved as a universal payment option no matter what. Last time I checked, you can't hack cash, and cash works when there's no electricity. Keeping the Dollar rock solid and accepted everywhere is good for our most vulnerable citizens and good for America, period, end of story."