A nationwide coin shortage is hitting major retailers across the US. Walmart is the latest retailer, and the largest, to announce, customers must use credit and debit cards when making purchases.
"Like most retailers, we're experiencing the affects of the nationwide coin shortage," Walmart spokesperson Avani Dudhia told FOX 8. "We're asking customers to pay with card or use correct change when possible if they need to pay with cash."
Cash-paying customers are still welcomed at all stores, though self-checkout registers will only allow customers to pay with a card.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently said virus-related lockdowns raised concerns about coin circulation. He told AP that the "flow of funds through the economy stopped" due to closures in the economy.
Walmart was not sure how long the ban on money at self-checkout registers would last, considering it's a nationwide issue.
We've noted a handful of retailers so far that have banned cash/coins, including Kroger, Meijer, Dollar Tree, and Wawa.
Twitter users seem to think the pandemic was a cover by elites to push a "cashless society:"
Anyone else notice that post-corona, the cashless society is now almost completely in place with barely a whimper of dissent?
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) July 15, 2020
Went to #Walmart today. They would not allow customers to get any #cash back while checking out. They had a sign asking for #coins and would not allow the use of cash at self checkout.
This is an indicator something is coming. #TheGreatReset #TheGlobalReset
— TheLast✝️FreeGeneration (@John14_26_) July 15, 2020
At a Walmart