Coins and bills may not be accepted on your next vacation.
Frequent flyers know cash was dethroned as a payment method for inflight purchases more than a decade ago. In fact, even credit cards have lost their in-air swiping privileges with some airlines accepting only in-app payments.
In recent years, more merchants, including sports stadiums and concert venues, have made the choice to go cashless, opting instead to accept only debit cards, credit cards, and other electronic forms of payment.
It’s to the point now where cash may not be particularly welcome on your next vacation. From national parks to theme parks and beyond, the list of places that want your money, but not your cash, is only growing.
Tourist attractions
A number of national parks and theme parks have announced cash will no longer be accepted for entrance and permit fees. Here’s a list of some of the theme parks and amusement parks that no longer accept cash:
Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia
California’s Great America in Santa Clara, California
Carowinds in Charlotte
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio
Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana
Idlewild Park in Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia
Kings Island in Mason, Ohio
Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California
Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut
SeaWorld San Antonio in San Antonio
Sesame Place Philadelphia in Philadelphia
Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho
Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota
Airport check-in desks
Some airport check-in desks are also cashless. If you have purchased your ticket and paid for your checked baggage before arriving at the airport, this shouldn’t cause an issue. But, if you need to pay for checked or overweight baggage at the airport and have only cash, you could be in a bit of a pickle without another way to pay.
Restaurants and hotels
While not as common, there are a handful of hotels and restaurants that will turn your cash away. The Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Palm Coast, Florida, for example, is a completely cashless property. All purchases made at the resort can either be charged to your room or paid with a credit card. And the Cartoon Network Hotel next to Lancaster’s Dutch Wonderland also runs a cashless operation
Train, bus, and underground transportation
Certain train services, including Amtrak, have gone cashless on select routes. Once on board, you cannot use cash to purchase food, beverages, or other goods. While many major cities have cashless payment options for public transit, these are currently only a means of giving customers more payment options. But there are train stations where the only way to buy your tickets is via an app or kiosk.
Why are businesses going cashless?
Cashless payments are still optional at many businesses, but entities that have shifted to being 100% cashless cite safety, security, and speed as the driving forces behind the change.
The less time customers spend waiting in line at a theme park, the better their overall experience and the more likely they are to return again and again (with their credit card, of course). Cashless payment systems are also safer and more efficient for theme parks and their employees. The absence of cash eliminates the opportunity for theft and robbery and frees up time that would have otherwise been spent handling cash. Handling cash can also carry a hefty cost for businesses. Between counting money, processing paperwork, and armored car transportation, processing cash isn’t cheap. And though they may not want to admit it, theme parks know guests are likely to spend more when using cashless methods instead of the cold hard stuff. Taking the time required to count out $50 in cash for a Mickey Mouse T-shirt also means you have time to second-guess whether it is an acceptable amount to pay for a souvenir.
What payment types do cashless merchants accept?
Businesses that no longer take cash still accept a variety of payment methods. You can often buy tickets and make other purchases with a physical debit card or credit card, and most places accept contactless payments through virtual wallet apps like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Some, including many theme parks, offer their own payment systems, like RFID-enabled wristbands or in-app mobile wallets, like Universal Orlando’s Universal Pay system.
What happens if you show up with cash?
Don’t fret if you show up at a cashless business sans credit card or mobile-based payment method. Many spots have what are called “reverse ATM machines.” Rather than spitting out cash when you enter your debit card, these “cash-to-card” kiosks convert your cash into a prepaid debit card you can then use to make purchases. (At most destinations, these prepaid debit cards can be used to make purchases anywhere prepaid debit cards are accepted.) Some national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, allow guests to purchase prepaid passes using cash at select visitor centers. There is no fee for using these cash-to-card kiosks, but in some cases a monthly fee will be deducted from your card if you do not make any transactions within an allotted amount of time (usually 90 days).
As another alternative, if you need a cash alternative while you are traveling and a cash-to-card kiosk isn’t available, many stores sell gift cards and prepaid debit cards that you can purchase with cash.
Even if you are among those who already rarely use cash on vacation, you may still want to keep some on hand for emergencies or to use for tipping valets, hotel housekeeping staff, or restaurant servers, which is still largely done using cash.
Twist’s Take: While cash is accepted at most businesses, make sure you also have a cashless payment method at the ready before your next vacation. It soon may be your only choice!
