COLUMBUS, OHIO – Ohio is poised to become a battleground state in the ongoing war between traditional currency and digital payments. The state House is currently reviewing a groundbreaking piece of legislation, dubbed the "CASH Bill" (Currency Access to Spend Here), which mandates that virtually all businesses and government agencies accept cash payments for transactions up to $500.
This decisive legislative action comes as major corporations including retail giants like Target, Walmart, and Costco accelerate their shift away from traditional cash registers toward cashless or self-checkout-only models. Ohio is sending a clear signal: the fundamental right of its citizens to use cash must be preserved.
Protecting Financial Equity and Consumer Choice
The core principle of the CASH Bill is financial inclusion and consumer protection. The proposed law requires that every business establishment must maintain at least one point of sale that accepts physical currency. Furthermore, the bill explicitly prohibits businesses from imposing a higher price on customers paying with cash compared to those using digital methods.
Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson), the bill's author, championed the necessity of the legislation.
Rep. Thomas stated: "Cash is the bedrock of American commerce. Ohioans must always have the freedom to use cash in their daily lives."
He cited concerns from numerous constituents regarding the reliability of digital payments, data privacy, and a preference for cash as a tool to better control personal spending—issues that resonate strongly with laborers, the elderly, and those who are unbanked or underbanked.
Disrupting the Retail Self-Checkout Strategy
If the CASH Bill is enacted, it will likely necessitate significant operational changes for massive retail chains.
Current self-checkout systems often bypass cash handling to reduce labor and speed up transactions. Under the new Ohio mandate, self-checkout kiosks at locations like Target and Walmart would need to be modified to support cash transactions, though the bill allows the cash point to be "automatically or human operated." This requirement could force large retailers to rethink their highly efficient, cashless strategies, causing a major upheaval in their operational blueprints.
Part of a National Trend
Ohio’s effort aligns closely with a growing national movement to protect cash usage. The state bill shares key similarities with the proposed federal Payment Choice Act of 2025, introduced by Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).
Both federal and state initiatives aim to protect payment choice, positioning the ability to transact in cash as a vital traditional American value that warrants legislative defense against the rapid digitalization of the economy. The outcome of the Ohio CASH Bill is being closely watched across the country as a potential blueprint for other states seeking to mandate financial accessibility.