I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2650 
To prohibit retail businesses from refusing cash payments, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 9, 2019 
Mr. PAYNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To prohibit retail businesses from refusing cash payments, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Payment Choice Act 
of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Section 5103 of title 31, United States 
Code, provides that United States coins and cur-
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rency ‘‘are legal tender for all debts, public charges, 
taxes, and dues’’. 
(2) A growing number of retail establishments, 
across the nation, have adopted ‘‘cashless policies’’, 
declaring that they refuse to accept United States 
cash payment from their customers and, instead, re-
quire that payment for the goods and services of-
fered by such retailers be made only with credit 
cards, debit cards, or digital payment methods that 
result in electronic transfers of funds to the retailer. 
SEC. 3. RETAIL BUSINESSES PROHIBITED FROM REFUSING 
CASH PAYMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 51 of title 
31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘§ 5104. Retail businesses prohibited from refusing 
cash payments 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—No person selling or offering 
goods or services at retail to the public may— 
‘‘(1) refuse to accept United States legal tender 
of cash as payment for goods or services; 
‘‘(2) post signs or notices in, on, or about the 
business premises of such person stating that cash 
payment is not accepted; or 
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‘‘(3) charge a higher price to any customer who 
pays by cash than customarily is charged to a cus-
tomer using other forms of payment. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to 
any goods or services sold to the public by telephone, mail, 
or internet. 
‘‘(c) ENFORCEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) PREVENTATIVE
RELIEF.—Whenever any 
person has engaged, or there are reasonable grounds 
to believe that any person is about to engage in any 
act or practice prohibited by this section, a civil ac-
tion for preventive relief, including an application for 
a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining 
order, or other order may be brought against such 
person. 
‘‘(2) CIVIL PENALTIES.—Any person who vio-
lates this section shall— 
‘‘(A) be liable for actual damages; 
‘‘(B) be fined not more than $2,500 for a 
first offense; and 
‘‘(C) be fined not more than $5,000 for a 
second or subsequent offense. 
‘‘(3) JURISDICTION.—An action under this sec-
tion may be brought in any United States district 
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