Why can’t I use my bank card in several St. Martin establishments?

The world is moving at a supersonic speed towards a cash less society. In many places, using raw cash to pay for anything is fast becoming a rarity. From paying for beer at a bar to buying a pack of cigarettes at a gas station; from getting coffee in the morning to picking up groceries in the afternoon, most people use their bank cards for all these transactions. In several countries, you cannot even call a Uber without a credit or debit card. You, in fact, often have to pay a taxi driver with a card also.

In such countries, cash is becoming synonymous with the underworld. Fraudsters, drug dealers, money launderers, people dealing in illicit trade and other sundry activities, are the ones who prefer hard cash. The reason is quite obvious: it allows them to hide their earnings from the scrutiny of the authorities, especially the tax man.

But this cannot be the case in St. Martin, particularly the Southern half, or is it? My own personal experience left me with more questions than answers. Imagine going to breakfast with your better half, at a popular restaurant along the Simpson Bay strip. You want to eat well before catching a flight out on one of those discount carriers that don’t serve not even water on board.

We sat down at this restaurant waiting to be served. Then I looked up at the wall and read this strange notice, scribbled in a type face that screamed quietly: “Don’t read me!” The message was cryptic: “No credit/debit cards.”

Uhn? I read it again, clearing my eyes this time to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on me. At first, I subconsciously assumed that it said: “No credit!” That would have made sense as in some other establishments, a similar message is displayed at the cashier: “In God we trust, all others pay cash.”

I turned to my Queen and asked her to read the notice, just to verify that I had understood the message correctly. She confirmed my worst fears but thought maybe that had been posted there a long, long time ago and was probably no longer valid. She called the waitress. A nice, friendly waitress came and said indeed this is “company policy.” She smiled, shrugged her shoulders and asked to take our orders. We both got up in unison, said, “No, thank you” and left.

We still had some time to try another breakfast place about a block away. However, the story was exactly the same there, but without any written notice visible anywhere. We had to ask if they accepted cards before even sitting down. Frustrated by the negative answer, we headed for the airport and boarded the plane hungry.

How could this be possible in this highly touristic area? Do our visitors - most of them from cash-less societies - have to carry cash on them all the time to get breakfast or pizza or buy groceries at some supermarkets along the strip? Is it safe nowadays to fill your wallet with cash, especially with the daylight robberies we have been witnessing lately?

Why can’t I use my bank card in some establishments, not only in Simpson Bay/Cole Bay, but also around the island? Is it even legal for any business to refuse to accept payments with bank cards? Why is it that it is only some specific businesses that have this “company policy”?

A retired banker friend of mine offered an explanation. He said cash is more difficult to trace. Moreover, he continued, “whether the business makes US$1,000 or $10,000 a day, there’s no way to know. It will be what they officially declare, right?” It was not a rhetorical question. Talk of tax compliance and everyone paying their fair share!

So, what to do? The possible tax implications of this “company policy” is for the relevant authorities to address. But, as a consumer, I am more concerned about being able to use my bank card anywhere and everywhere I decide to patronize, so that I don’t have to fly on an empty stomach ever again.

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