Some people who eat at McDonald's have discovered that there are certain times when you can't pay with your credit or debit card. A person who used to manage a McDonald's said this is true.
They shared why this happens and how you might still be able to pay without using cash.
Midnight Cash-Only Policy Sparks Debate
A customer and former employee started a discussion on Reddit about a specific cash-only policy at McDonald's. They shared a story about a difficult time they had trying to buy food from the place where they used to work. They said their old boss had told them that, after 2:00 a.m., the restaurant would only take cash.
Wanting to prove a point to their old boss, the Reddit user drove to the bank ATM at night. They withdrew $20 and then returned to McDonald's to pay for their food.
"I drove four miles to the nearest bank to withdraw $20 and raced back there, making sure the manager, who didn't like me, saw me," they said.
A customer, who is also a former McDonald's employee, decided to order a meal known for being difficult to prepare. This decision came to light after they encountered a policy requiring payments to be made in cash after midnight.
Despite what appeared to be a spiteful move, other people shared a practical reason behind this cash-only rule. One individual mentioned that employees at their nearby McDonald's explained that the company's computer systems undergo a reset between 1:00 am and 2:00 am. Cash registers cannot process payments using credit or debit cards now.
One customer noted, "A local McDonald's only takes cash from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.," providing a glimpse into the operational challenges some franchises face overnight.
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Early Hours Cash-Only Explained
Employees have pointed out that McDonald's cash-only policy during certain early morning hours is because the computer system is updating data for the main office.
A person who used to manage several McDonald's restaurants overnight confirmed this explanation in an online discussion. They clarified that the digital systems must undergo a reset to ensure they work correctly the next day. This process temporarily disables the card readers, making accepting credit or debit card payments impossible.
"I have been the night manager at multiple McDonald's," the former manager shared. At a certain time of night, generally between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., the system has to run a balancing program to function properly the next day."
They further explained, "It does not matter if there is a second landline; the system has to shut down the card readers."
This information led to curiosity about whether there is a workaround for the system reset.
Indeed, someone in the conversation claimed to have discovered a significant "loophole" that allows customers to circumvent the cash-only restriction.
In November 2019, McDonald's faced criticism for introducing touch-screen kiosks in many of its US locations, as reported by Bloomberg. These kiosks in around 9,000 stores are designed to modernize the ordering process but exclude the significant number of customers without debit or credit cards-approximately 8.4 million US households.
This oversight has also burdened franchise owners, who find the kiosks problematic due to their inability to accept cash payments. The introduction of these machines, costing up to $750,000 for store renovations, has now led to calls for modifications to make them capable of handling cash transactions.
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