California, Arizona, Utah -- May Roadtrip

[Rick Quinn]

Buck:

I think the concern was over businesses that will ONLY take cash. I don't think there are any laws mandating credit card acceptance.

Rick

[Midwest Michael]

I'm not a fan of carrying cash and it wasn't uncommon in roadtrips in the USA to come across places that didn't take cards. And if they did, it was usually using the magnetic stripe, not pin+chip or contactless. I was just wondering if that's still the case, or if things have improved in that sense. In Europe, after the pandemic, places not taking cards have gone from few to virtually none.

I would certainly carry some cash, because there are still some small businesses that have chosen to remain cash only to avoid Credit Card processing fees, but that's a pretty small number of places. Most cash only businesses I've been to recently will have an ATM on site.

The flip side is there are more and more places that are going cashless. Concerts, sporting events, etc in particular often require the use of cards.

As far as using Credit Cards in the US, Chip is the most common way to use a card today, but most US cards use Chip and Signature instead of Chip and Pin. Contactless has become more and more common in recent years. Mag Strip swiping has mostly gone away, as any business that uses the strip instead of a chip or contactless loses most of its protections from fraud

[Southwest Dave]

With regards to an additional driver on the car rental, I would check directly with the Company before going ahead with the booking. In the past we have used Rentalcars.com and have been happy each time.

[rans]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies!

@AZBuck
Yes, I always buy the annual pass. Still have one saved as a memento!
Thanks for the suggestions. They booked the night in the GCNP. It is more expensive, but it was deemed worthy. Canyon de Chelly looks very nice and I will suggest that. Joshua Tree is definitely interesting, but there's no time to fit it in.
Regarding Sequoia, it's between Death Valley and Yosemite and so the detour is only between the 245 and Sequoia NP, which is fairly short. As I said before, Sequoia is a stop mostly because it's unlikely the Tioga Pass will be open, which means one has to go all around the Sierra Nevada to enter Yosemite from the west.

@Rick Quinn, 100% right! Apologies if it wasn't super clear.

@Midwest Michael, thank you for the info. That's great news!

@Southwest Dave, will do! Ta.

[Lifemagician]

The flip side is there are more and more places that are going cashless. Concerts, sporting events, etc in particular often require the use of cards.

Unfortunately that is the case here as well. As are the expectations that everyone has a computer phone.

I am one of the many seniors who has neither, and does not have a desire to get them. It is interesting to note the businesses which seem to disappear not all that long after they go cashless. At events I usually turn up with cash in hand, a person-in-charge is then called as to what to do, and until now - 3 events (flower show; camping show and Royal show [i.e. US State Fair]) - I have been escorted in, and told to enjoy myself.

No skin off my nose!

Lifey