Whether Sunday or not, merchants are obliged to accept cash payments, recalls in a statement the National Committee of Means of Payment (CNMP), under the aegis of the Bank of France. Informed of "specific cases of refusal of cash", the institution stresses that this obligation applies "every day including Sunday". Merchants refusing a cash payment are liable to a fine of 150 euros, recalls service-public.fr.
Indeed, cash is the only means of payment that cannot be refused in France, with the exception of certain cases such as coins or notes in poor condition, counterfeit money, or a payment made with more than 50 coins. For safety reasons, some workers, especially at night, may refuse this payment method to avoid acts of vandalism. In many cases, the cash payment cannot exceed certain amounts depending on whether it is intended for a professional or an individual, for example.
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The rise of dematerialized payment
Some festivals or sporting events swear by cashless, as "traditional" payment methods have become a sticking point within these organizations. Special cards or bracelets with a chip become the electronic wallet of festival-goers, the objective being to reduce the waiting time in the queues and improve their overall experience. The large-scale dissemination of these devices is singled out: the CNMP recalls that the obligation to accept cash payments also applies "during events such as festivals or sporting events".
In addition, last year, the Banque de France reminded the supermarket groups Carrefour and Casino of their obligation to accept cash payments in all their stores. Faced with the absence of employees on Sunday afternoons, consumers are sometimes forced to turn to automatic cash registers, which do not systematically allow them to pay in cash. Christophe Baud-Berthier, the director of fiduciary activities at the Banque de France, then recalled that this practice was "contrary to the law", during a speech at the Journées de l'économie in Lyon.
The Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty and the Bank of France say they are "particularly attentive to the respect of these legal obligations," warns the CNMP in its statement.
