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Mass. Attorney General wants cash to be accepted everywhere — including sports venues

By Boston 25 News Staff
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Fed proposes cutting debit card 'swipe fees' FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday suggested that "swipe fees" – or fees that banks can charge merchants for processing debit-card transactions -- be slashed by nearly a third, something that would cause a hit to billions of dollars in revenue for banks. (PeopleImages/Getty Images)

By Boston 25 News Staff

BOSTON — Cash may no longer be king but Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is hoping to make sure that Bay Staters at least have it as an option.

In a statement to Boston 25 News, Campell’s office said that her office is reassessing the issue that her predecessor, now- Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ruled on. Campbell says that all businesses should offer cash payments as an option, including TD Garden, Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park.

“State law requires retail establishments to accept all forms of legal tender, including cash, and such establishments cannot turn away customers because they do not have a credit or debit card. This law is important as a matter of consumer protection and economic justice so that people who do not have access to non-cash payment options have full and fair access to the marketplace,” Campbell said. “Consumers should reach out to my office if they encounter a business that refuses to accept cash.”

Last year, Healey gave her approval of Fenway’s transition to a cashless payment system. Under the system, cash carriers were able to load their money on a Mastercard debit card and use it to pay for drinks and food around the stadium.

“We simply had a conversation with the Red Sox and understand how it’s working,” Healey said in August 2022. “It meets the requirements of the law.”

TD Garden and Gillette Stadium have similar programs in place.

During a conversation on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” Tuesday, Campbell signaled that change may be coming.

“I know we’ve gotten a lot of outreach here. Give me a little bit more time, we’ll be back on this in terms of what the law is and how folks have to come into compliance,” Campbell said, according to State House News Service. “And we also are mindful that, whether it’s young people, elders, not everyone has a credit card, not everyone has a smartphone app, and various ways in which people are expecting them to pay. They have to take all forms of money. So more to come on that.”

Consumers who have encountered a retail establishment refusing cash payments can file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s Office by clicking this link.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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