I'm not a lawyer and I'm just guessing but I suppose whatever currency you choose to accept is up to you. The government only requires that you must accept U.S. currency. If you're willing to go through the hassle of accepting other currency and deal with exchanging it you can do what you want. In all probability this guy is ripping of the stupid immigrants by offering a fixed exchange rate regardless of what the official exchange rate is. I've dealt with this in many countries. Almost everyone will accept the dollar or euro. You just have to be willing to surrender it on their terms which are usually worse than you would get at a bank.
100% spot on....this guy has to be ripping off the illegals (obviously no citizen would use “pesos”...come on) who pay in pesos.
The Mexican currency is such a basket case...you would be foolish to not exchange it for a higher rate than a bank would, if you accept it as cash.
Growing up in El Paso, whenever we went into Mexico, we always used dollars. All those years on the border and I never saw a peso...most Mexican shopkeepers listed everything in US Dollars, anyway.
It would be more humanitarian to just accept dollars only.
The last time this story made its rounds (and if this is the same guy), he was overcharging by about 10%.
"Ripping off" is a stronger term than I would use. He's in the pizza business, not the currency exchange business, and he has better things to do than constantly recalculate the exchange rate. Consider it a convenience fee, because if you're spendng 5-10% more pesos than you could get if you exchange money at the bank, it's worth it not to hassle with going to the bank.
Not to mention that if you exchange currencies at the places along the border, or at a check-cashing store, they *will* rip you off. Currency exchange is a profit center for them.
I've dealt with this in many countries. Almost everyone will accept the dollar or euro. You just have to be willing to surrender it on their terms which are usually worse than you would get at a bank.
Best advice I've ever gotten -- unless you're going someplace really remote, just use an ATM or a credit card cash advance when you arrive. The airport money changers will give you the least advantageous rates, and your bank -- which is already holding your money -- will give you the most advantageous rates to keep you happy. I just strolled up to the first ATM I saw in Bangkok with English instructions, and got about 44 baht/dollar, when the rate in the paper was 42 and the airport stands were paying about 38.