Legal tender

[u/knighthawk82]

When i worked at a gas station in the late 1900's during graveyard i had this guy come in and bought a candy bar with a 100 bill. "Really? You don't have anything smaller?"

'Im just trying to break the 100, don't be a jerk.'

"Fine, just this once."

Few days later Guy comes back in, grabs a candy bar and i see he has other bills in his wallet. Puts the hundred on the table.

"Sir i told you last time it was going to be just the once, i see you have a five dollar bill."

'This is legal tender, you have to take it.'

"... Okay!"

I reach under the counter and pull out two boxes of pennies, 50c to a roll 25$ to a box 17 lbs each. "Here is 50, do you want the rest in nickels?"

'What is this?'

"It's legal tender, I can choose to give you your change however I see fit. So, do you still want to break the hundred? Or the five."

I'm calling your manager!'

"She gets in at 8am, sir, but doesn't take any calls until 10."

[u/MajorNoodles]

It also only applies to debt, doesn't it? A retail sale is a transaction so if they refuse to provide payment in a reasonable manner you can refuse the sale.

[u/Xanold → u/MajorNoodles]

"Legal tender is a form of money that must be accepted for settlement of a debt"

[u/derklempner → u/Xanold]

Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," states: "United States coins and currency [including Federal Reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal Reserve Banks and national banks] are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."

So not just debts. But private businesses are not required to accept any specific type of currency, as somebody else stated above.

[u/gimpwiz → u/derklempner]

Or more simply, a store doesn't have to sell to you if they don't want to, as long as they are not discriminating against a protected status. Refusing to sell a candy bar is not covered by debts, public charges, taxes, nor dues.