Are you people serious??

[apocolypse101]

So the idiot who wanted to use her $100 to buy a $2 granola bar ... I would be willing to bet I would not have had enough cash in my drawer to make change.

While I could see paying for a $2 item with a $20, since not everyone has lots of small bills, that idiot deserves to be hit upside the head with a clue-by-four.

[Pixelated]

When I got my hurricane money, I had to go inside and stand in line because the line to use the ATM was at least 15 people deep, and the teller was limited on the number of $20 bills she could give each customer because they were running out of them.

So I did walk out of there with some $100s and $50s. But I also wondered what the heck I would be able to do with them if we did end up with that significant a loss of power.

Hmm, okay, a valid point. But that is a different situation. We haven't had any major storms (knock on wood) and there is a bank right across the road. They could go break their $100s into $20s very easily.

Some stores near me have small signs by their registers that say that they don't accept anything over a $50 bill. Do you have one of those? I know that the SC's wouldn't read it, but it would be a physical thing you could point to when they try to use you as a bank.

I'm getting conflicting training on several issues, and this is one of them. I was indeed told we could not accept 100s and 50s, yet when somebody offered a $50 a week or so ago, I looked towards the person in charge and she said, "Yeah, take it." Sooo ... yes or no?? How 'bout you make up your mind?

The real problem with the bigger bills -- especially the $100s -- is that we put all $20 bills into a locked box below the cash register. So the idiot who wanted to use her $100 to buy a $2 granola bar ... I would be willing to bet I would not have had enough cash in my drawer to make change. We have two cash registers and each has two drawers, and when you are on till, you electronically sign in to one specific drawer. You absolutely cannot "borrow" cash from another drawer to make change (even ringing out a customer under somebody else's drawer is a serious matter).

[apocolypse101]

Some stores near me have small signs by their registers that say that they don't accept anything over a $50 bill. Do you have one of those? I know that the SC's wouldn't read it, but it would be a physical thing you could point to when they try to use you as a bank.

[wordgirl]

When I got my hurricane money, I had to go inside and stand in line because the line to use the ATM was at least 15 people deep, and the teller was limited on the number of $20 bills she could give each customer because they were running out of them.

So I did walk out of there with some $100s and $50s. But I also wondered what the heck I would be able to do with them if we did end up with that significant a loss of power.

[Catwoman2965]

My mom, for as long as I can remember. But she would never try to break the $100 on something small, certainly not at a coffee shop, and even if she's at a big store she will ask if they can break it unless the total is pretty close to 100. She'll switch to plastic without any issue if they can't break it. It's really not that hard.

People that think they can break their large bill at a coffee shop make me sad that they have $100s and I don't. They probably believe that TV myth that it's the law that shops have to take all cash and can't refuse.

My friend who I dogsit regularly for, pays me in $50 and $100 bills. BUT, that's my "fun money" which gets deposited into my account. I'll only use it to pay for something if I'm at Target or the grocery store, and spending enough so that I will only get a reasonable amount of change back.

[earl colby pottinger]

$100 bills

And counterfeiters, which is why a fair number of small shops and fast-food places simply won't take them at all.

One nice thing about Canadian $100 bills, they will be very hard to make fakes so smaller places take them more regularly than US stores will take $100 USD.

Despite that I hate paying smaller purchase with large bills, yesterday I paid for $25 in gas with a $100 bill (it is what the bank gave me since I did a large withdraw) and found myself apologizing to the man behind the counter for paying with such a large bill. He took but had to pay me the change in small bills only ($5 and $10).

[RealUnimportant]

I think people believe that cashier tills have several thousand dollars in them at all times.

Not to mention limitless supplies of change in The Back/The Safe. Even in the few places that do keep change on hand, it's not usually accessible by the front-end staff.

[Mental_Mouse]

Show-offs, mostly.

And counterfeiters, which is why a fair number of small shops and fast-food places simply won't take them at all.

I find myself wondering if some OP-local government agency has started paying out in C-notes.
IIRC, for a long time (maybe still, for all I know) Federal welfare offices tended to give out their payments in $50 bills.

[OneMoreTime]

I think people believe that cashier tills have several thousand dollars in them at all times.

[Food Lady]

Show-offs, mostly.

Except I don't know who they think they're impressing. I usually just assume $100 is all the money they have...

[Monterey Jack]

The only time I carry hundred-dollar bills in my wallet is if I'm going to pay my rent, simply so I don't have to count out a stack of twenties. Other than that, it's nothing bigger than a twenty, with plenty of tens, fives and singles.

[notalwaysright]

Who in hell wanders around with $100 bills in their wallet?!

My mom, for as long as I can remember. But she would never try to break the $100 on something small, certainly not at a coffee shop, and even if she's at a big store she will ask if they can break it unless the total is pretty close to 100. She'll switch to plastic without any issue if they can't break it. It's really not that hard.

People that think they can break their large bill at a coffee shop make me sad that they have $100s and I don't. They probably believe that TV myth that it's the law that shops have to take all cash and can't refuse.

[MoonCat]

Show-offs, mostly.

[Pixelated]

I had THREE customers come in today and attempt to pay with $100 bills! In a freakin' coffee shop! (Okay, I know our prices are high, but not THAT high ... unless you're buying for the entire staff of a mid-sized office!)

None of them were buying very much ... in fact, the final one wanted to buy a granola bar!

Among other things, we do not keep $20 bills in our till ... they go into a small locked box below the cash register. (Company is paranoid and untrusting? Nah. Really. Honestly.)

So your change will be given, most likely, in $5 bills ... with maybe a couple of tens, if I am fortunate enough to have any. But a $2 granola bar? I swear to you, lady, I do NOT have $98 in my till, even if I empty it out.

She ended up scurrying back to her car to get some change from an unseen person in the driver's seat.

Who in hell wanders around with $100 bills in their wallet?!