SF 'Cashless Ban' FAQ: How to pay cash at Amazon Go, and more questions answered

Amazon Go stores are a physical retail store operated by Amazon in which shoppers are able to take items from shelves and exit without a checkout process, having their items automatically charged to their Amazon Prime account. Cashless stores are banned from San Francisco starting Friday, and stores like these will need to make accepting cash an option. less Amazon Go stores are a physical retail store operated by Amazon in which shoppers are able to take items from shelves and exit without a checkout process, having their items automatically charged to their ... more Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Image 1 of / 37 Caption Close SF 'Cashless Ban' FAQ: How to pay cash at Amazon Go, and more questions answered 1 / 37 Back to Gallery

As of Friday, it is officially illegal for brick-and-mortar stores in San Francisco to ban cash payments.

Some classically cashless businesses, such as salad spot Sweetgreen, seemed to make the transition pretty smoothly, adding a register to accommodate cash despite a largely card-wielding clientele. Others are struggling with the change.

Nonetheless, how do check-out-counter-lacking stores, like Amazon Go, work with this adjustment? Does this affect food trucks? Pop-ups? What happens if the business doesn't adopt the change?

Here are your questions, answered:

What is the ban, exactly?

Brick-and-mortar businesses, a.k.a. "any place of business operating at a fixed, permanent physical premises," must accept cash in San Francisco. They may not charge a fee or place any other conditions on its acceptance of cash.

Does this affect food trucks?

No, it does not. The resolution only affects brick-and-mortar businesses. It does not affect mobile stores (including food trucks), pop-ups, nor purely online businesses that operate within the city.

How does Amazon Go work then?

It runs as smooth as usual. You waltz into the store after scanning in, or idle before the gates as your Amazon Go app downloads before you get to the next step.

For app-less shoppers: you can tell the attendant at the door that you don't have the app, and you're paying with cash. They'll walkie-talkie their buddy in the back to let you in, and you'll wait for them to come and let you into the store.

Once you're ready to check out, you'll need to find the attendant again. He'll go to the back and wheel out a little checkout cart, from which he'll pull out a device to let you check out sans app.

What happens if a store is caught in violation? Is there a punishment?

Businesses caught in violation are subject to a fine. First offenses range from $50-100, and can run up to $1,000. The city also wrote it can order the violator to "reimburse [the city] of costs incurred in investigating and prosecuting the enforcement action against the violator."

READ MORE: SF Supervisor wants to ban Amazon Go, other cashless stores

Isabela Angus is an SFGATE editorial intern. Email: isabela.angus@sfgate.com