Belgium Won't Take My Money

Vanity ^ | 9/13/2021 | Oshkalaboomboom

[Oshkalaboomboom]

So we are in Brussels, capital of the European Union and presumably the inventors of the Euro. I went to buy an item that cost 1.26 so I gave them a 1 Euro coin, 2 10 cent coins and 3 2 cent coins, something that in America we would call exact change. The cashier refused to take it and asked for a 5 cent piece instead. Apparently they have outlawed pennies and 2 cent pieces in Belgium and are now rounding everything either up or down. So the driving force behind the Euro currency now refuses to take their own money. Gotta love bureaucracy!

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I live in Spain and pay exact change all the time. Belgium is the first time I have run into this. How long before they outlaw currency altogether? Using Covid as an excuse most outlets prefer cards, preferably contactless. Coming soon to a country near you :-(

[hinckley buzzard]

IDK about Belgium, but I hear Walmart is taking litecoin now.

[Wayne07]

There have been repeated calls to ban the penny in the US as well.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/business/coin-shortage-penny.html

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2020/07/14/890435359/is-it-time-to-kill-the-penny

[cgbg]

Rumor—supposedly debunked—you may want to dig a little deeper...

[I want the USA back]

Well then prices should be quoted already rounded to the nearest .05.

[Red Badger]

Same thing in America due to ‘Coin shortage’. ..............

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Up here in Kanadahar (Canada), they got rid of the penny almost ten years ago. Your final total for a bill (including sales tax) is rounded to the nearest five cents, IF YOU ARE PAYING BY CASH. If you are paying any other way, you pay the bill amount.

[Cronos]

Your vanity article makes no sense

1. “So we are in Brussels, capital of the European Union” —> the European Union isn’t a country and doesn’t have a capital.
there are 4 institutional centers:
Brussels: Commission, Council of Ministers, European Council, Parliament (2nd location)
Frankfurt: Central Bank
Luxembourg City: Civil service of the European Parliament, Council of Ministers (2nd location), Court of Justice of the European Union, Court of Auditors, Commission (various departments and services)
Strasbourg: Parliament

2. “and presumably the inventors of the Euro.” —> they weren’t. The proposer of the Euro was a Luxembourgian.
THEN, the French thought that tying the Germans in the Euro with them and others would prevent any German super-power, hence it was a condition of German unification to create the Euro

3. “Apparently they have outlawed pennies” —> Those are cents, not pennies :)

4. “ So the driving force behind the Euro currency now refuses to take their own money. Gotta love bureaucracy!” —> the Belgians weren’t the driving force behind the Euro. Also, the government hasn’t banned it - Belgium doesn’t have enough 1 and 2 cent pieces.

[TTFX]

I bet you’re fun at parties.

[Cronos]

Super :)

[outofsalt]

"Coming soon to a country near you :-("

You will need two ID's for cash and a COVID passport!

[alexander_busek]

Excellent!

I applaud your attention to detail and factuality!

Regards,

[Oatka]

How long before they outlaw currency altogether?

All Central Banks are eyeing a digital currency after seeing Bitcoin's success. The acronym is CBDC - Central Bank Digital Currency. They hate competition, so all commercial versions will be banned.

It's a control freak's dream - all transactions are digital, and thus can be tracked - and controlled. They will use "prevent money laundering" as one excuse. Or "Catch tax cheaters". Or . . . the ever popular "It's for your safety."

There's already at least one outfit saying our credit score should also reflect our standing in Social Media.

Once the public accepts it, Game On! Anti-government posts? Banned by Twitter, Facebook, et al? Limited access or "no soup for you".

Refuse vaccination or other government mandates? See above.

Any sign of independence? See above.

Just for the Hell of it? See above.

[alexander_busek]

Also, the government hasn’t banned it - Belgium doesn’t have enough 1 and 2 cent pieces.

If that is true, then vendors should be more than happy to accept 1- and 2-cent coins! But in the case at hand, a vendor refused to do so; do you have an explanation for that?

Also: Absolutely no ordinances or even only talk about banning or simply "not accepting" small-denomination coins where I live (southern Germany).

Regards,

[Jim Noble]

“There have been repeated calls to ban the penny”

Good.

We need completely new coinage to reflect the massive loss of value since 1964.

$20, $10, $5, $2.50, $1, $0.50 and a brass $0.25 to replace the penny.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Well then prices should be quoted already rounded to the nearest .05.

Not necessarily, if you purchase a number of items the total is rounded. For instance, if Oshkala had purchased five of the buck-twenty-six Euro items:

1.26 x 5 = € 6.30 There is no rounding.

Had he purchased three

1.26 x 3 = € 3.78, round to € 3.80, not € 3.75 or € 3.90, the only totals available if the single item is priced at 1.25 or 1.30.

[the_individual2014]

I live in Belgium and you are very correct, and spot on, I do admit Belgium can be a pain in the ass to live here, plus the natives here seem not to give a crap about a lot especially if things suck.

[caww]

Trying to unravel the governing bodies of the European Union etc. is a chore to begin with. But I think they like it like that.

[Cobra64]

In the US, it costs more than a penny to make a penny. As far as I am concerned, eliminate the penny, since it’s purchasing power ain’t worth anything.

[Red Badger]

I bet he doesn’t get invited.....................