New legislation may allow DC nightspots to go cashless

WASHINGTON — The Ocean Lounge has been a staple of H Street’s nightlife for more than five years, yet criminal activity continues to dim what would otherwise be a bright spot in the District.

“You have people that are scared to come to H Street because of the crime,” says Devon Gill, who has been managing the lounge for the past eight months. “We’re trying to put positivity back out there by putting more lighting out there, stuff like that.”

Many late-night establishments on H Street are struggling with the same problem: criminals running in to snatch cash. Now some new legislation may offer a simple solution: getting rid of cash altogether.

Earlier this week, DC Councilmember Christina Henderson introduced legislation that would give these late-night establishments the option to go completely cashless, starting next year.

“If you don’t have cash, you’re not as much of a target to those who might want to rob that establishment,” Henderson explained. “If you do have cash, and they know you have cash on the premises, you’re essentially putting a target on those establishments’ back.”

The legislation, if enacted, would apply to C and D alcohol license holders, so bed & breakfasts, hotels, and restaurants would also fall under this exemption. Grocery stores and liquor stores, however, would not fall under this exemption, and would still be required to accept cash.

Henderson says major establishments in D.C. like the Capitol One Arena are already cashless, and the widespread use of mobile payment platforms makes cashless transactions easier than ever. 

Yet Henderson says keeping the legislation optional and focused on specific locations ensures folks who rely on cash won’t be left out.

“One of the reasons we decided to make this legislation narrow to just talk about two classes of licenses was out of the acknowledgment that for some people, they’re not banked and they’ll never be banked, but we still want them to participate in commerce,” she said.

Meanwhile, Gill says D.C.’s nightspots are looking forward to the option to leave cash behind.

“We actually see more credit cards and stuff like that than cash,” he says. “It also makes our employees feel safer because we don’t have to worry about someone coming in, taking cash from you.”