In the letter, 51 consumer, privacy, and civil rights groups expressed support for the Payment Choice Act (H.R. 2650 and S. 4145) which would prohibit brick-and-mortar retailers from refusing to accept cash or charging consumers more for paying with cash. The letter pointed out that cashless businesses unfairly disadvantage consumers in many ways. According to a report released by the Federal Reserve in May 2020, nearly a quarter of U.S. adults were either underbanked or unbanked last year. These individuals,
who are more likely to have low income, have less education, or be in a racial or ethnic minority
group, have little access to noncash forms of payment. Furthermore, consumers who are forced
to pay for goods and services in cashless transactions may incur added fees or other expenses.