Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has warned that shops have the right to allow card payments only.
Following the coronavirus outbreak, stores have bumped up their contactless minimum payment as they urge customers to ditch cash.
While some shoppers may think this is against the law, the money guru has revealed shops are not breaking the law by opting to operate cash-free.
It comes after a viewer on ITV's the Martin Lewis Money Show asked: "If cash is legal tender, are businesses breaking rules by only accepting cards."
Martin's answer was simple, the Mirror reports.
"No, they are not breaking any rules," he said.
"You are allowed to take card only as long as it's not discriminatory for race or disability or something."
This sparked a discussion over the concept of legal tender - which can also be a sticking point for Scots when they try to use their notes south of the border.
Martin said: "The legal tender thing is interesting. Legal tender has a strict definitioon.
"It means if you have a court awarded debt against you, if someone tries to settle and they're paying in legal tender you cannot refuse it.
"And that's all it means."
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Speaking about the concept of cashless society, had another warning.
"I know many people are saying 'why don't we just switch to a cashless society?' - I don't want that, because there are many vulnerable people who need cash," he said.
