Yes, our self-check machines accept cash. I have used it more than once. Plus, you can run your debit card as a credit card and still comes from the same account. I save my other credit card for special credit purchases.

I'm like you: things must be going very badly for me to consider using a credit card for ordinary purchases. Fortunately, I'm not in that position. You know, anyone who has any type of electronic device can run into trouble, so we're all stuck monitoring our accdounts, but it's also not safe or convenient to carry around large amounts of cash. Times sure have changed.

Since I bike for and with my groceries, my grocery bill certainly wouldn't be as big as someone who has a car.

Maybe whoever dreamed up the self-check aisles figured the cost of stolen merchandise would be less than paying a clerk (hourly rate, benefits, etc.) to man the register. At my nearby Home Depot there are six self-check registers and one person to oversee them.
Like almost everyone else in this forum, I use both self-check and full-service checkout aisles. We use our credit card for almost all our purchases because it accrues airline miles. But we pay the balance in full each month. (And we pay attention to what we're spending!)

Good points about the store management's decisions to use self checking. Though I hadn't given it prior thought, I am sure you are correct that an analysis has been done. Major retailers like Home Depot are on top of their numbers, I'm sure of that.

As for using a credit card in order to accrue miles or other benefits --- I agree that it's a smart thing to do when managed the way you do (paying off the balance monthly.)

We don't have a credit card that offers miles, but in a similar fashion we use a PayPal debit card to pay for a lot of our business expenses: Being that it's a debit Master Card, it can be used like a credit card, it pulls the money from funds available in our PayPal account (equivalent to paying cash) AND we get something like 3% back on every transaction. That makes a real difference.

IMHO loss at those self-checkout aisles were positively figured into the equation before they were put into use. That almost goes without saying. On the other hand, stores shouldn't complain about losing goods which are deliberately not paid for. If they knew it would happen, then chalk it up to overhead costs. A 5th Grader knows there are always a few folks trying to get away with a great deal. Pun intended!!!

The first time I tried the self-check out, I was with my daughter and granddaughter. She showed me how to use it. 5 y/o Katie bagged the groceries. It was not a big order. Looked simple enough.

The next (and last ) time I tried it, I was alone. After placing several items on the belt and having them ring up, I tossed my reusable bags onto the belt. The whole thing stopped and it started telling me to take everything off and start over again. I got flustered and nervous. I didn't know if I took them off if they would ring up twice or what. I was holding up the line. There was no one to help. I didn't know what to do. I kept trying to just keep going and it wouldn't let me. Finally someone came by and got it going correctly. I won't do that again!

Stores won't do it if it's going to lose them money It's not for the consumer's convenience.

We have Stop & Shop here, which offers "gas miles," Every time we shop, we get a certain amount of gas dollars that add up. You can redeem them at a specific Shell station. I go by that station every day, but I don't use it. I noticed that the station down the street where I usually go is usually 5-10 cents less a gallon. Don't think I'd really be saving that much. This station is difficult to pull in and out of due to the flow of traffic where it is located.

The other thing I hate is the stupid plastic cards. supermarkets, CVS, Hallmark, etc. I wrote a story on this once, I was so disgusted with it. It costs money to produce those silly cards. Why not just lower their prices in the first place? That would get my attention and my business much faster than having to carry around these foolish cards. And yes, I know there is an app for my phone now so that I don't have to carry them or hang them from my keychain. But, I don't care to pull out my phone every time either.

I'm sick of gimmicks. If they really want to "help the consumer" they should lower their prices.

Excellent points Louisa! Couldn't agree with you more. Not only do those cards cost money but all the fliers they mail out are costly. Lower the prices and forget the gimmicks! Here! Here!