Oh the irony of how using cash is safer these days. You expose yourself to an internet full of thieves using plastic, but with cash it's only to the handful of people you actually cross paths with.

Only if you get the cash via bank teller though. Skimmers make using ATMs risky as well.

It's safer than Bitcoin, but still many times less safe than any sane credit card with a no fraud liability policy.

Unless your job pays you in cold hard cash, you have to go to the ATM. And you expose yourself to getting mugged, or have a the debit card skimmed. You could physically walk into the bank and get whatever-you-spend-per-month-in-stores in cash. So that might be an approach. But now you have to carry a fat wallet with you and manages lots of pocket change. Also not purchase much online.

Except I really like the free trips I get every year from accumulating travel reward points. Not to mention in my experience (personal and through acquaintances) Visa refunds fraudulent transactions immediately and with little to no hassle.

Depends on where you shop, but some places will give you cash discounts of 3-5%, which is more than most CC rewards pay. Admittedly it's not as widespread.

Most merchant agreements forbid this, IIRC. Credit card companies have a vested interest in the goods being the same price whether cash or credit.

It was more complicated, I believe. The marked and advertised price had to be what credit card users would pay, but they could have a cash discount at the register or checkout.

Starting in early 2013, as a result of a settlement of a class action by merchants, they no longer have to charge credit card users the advertised and marked price. They can advertise and mark the cash price, and charge a credit card surcharge of up 4% or the processing fees for that transaction (whichever is smaller).

Some states have laws that limit surcharging. There is a list in this Visa article about the post settlement rules: http://usa.visa.com/personal/get-help/checkout-fees.jsp

They used to - it used to be enough for a merchant to lose 'rights' to process credit cards - but the federal regulations of a couple years ago put a stop to it.

Some states previously used to also restrict the ability of merchant agreements to do that, though usually only in specific industries. E.g. in Texas, liquor stores (but nobody else) have been able to offer cash discounts for ages. Now anyone can.

Not saying that's untrue, but when you think of it, it's pretty amazing that card companies can legally do this. Testament to the efficacy of K Street I suppose.

From what I remember, you can charge a single flat fee for using a credit card, but no percentages. At the time, I thought that 'sliding scale' flat fees (e.g. < $100 is $0.15, > $100 is $1.50) were too close to percentages per the agreement.

Or understand that your card most likely has a zero fraud liability policy, meaning that if it gets stolen, the fraudulent charges simply go away.

If you use cash and it gets stolen, your money is just gone.

But don't forget about it in your pocket and then do the laundry ...

Losing or having a credit card compromised is pretty low on my list of real hassles.