H.R. 1138 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
Payment Choice Act of 2025
Cosponsors: 25 (12 D, 13 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-12
Introduced: 2025-02-07
Latest action (2025-02-07): Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
What H.R. 1138 does, in plain terms
Payment Choice Act of 2025 This bill requires retail businesses to accept cash as a form of payment for on-site sales of $500 or less and it prohibits them from charging cash-paying customers a higher price compared to customers not paying with cash. Businesses covered by this bill are those engaged in the business of selling or offering goods or services at retail to the public that accept in-person payments at a physical location. The bill establishes exceptions for this requirement, including by allowing a business to provide a device to provide prepaid cards on site for customers to use as payment. Among other requirements, such a card must not have a fee associated with its use and must not require a minimum payment of more than $1. The bill provides for enforcement through preventative relief, damages, and civil penalties.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
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