"We’re hoping it solves the problem," said Angel Her, an assistant manager at Asha Tea House, after the shop put up a sign that reads "credit cards only."Oakland businesses
have been forced to confront. Many of the businesses ditching cash are located in the city's "Police Area 2," where burglaries have nearly tripled since 2021. That year, the area recorded 52 commercial burglaries as of mid-June, according to numbers compiled by the San Francisco Chronicle, a number that spiked to 125 the following year. This year, 137 commercial burglaries have been reported in the district.
Unlike San Francisco, business owners in Oakland are able to ban cash sales without restriction from the city. Across the Bay, the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance in 2019 that requires all businesses to accept cash, citing "San Francisco’s" to be inclusive to people who have been denied credit or are unable to open a bank account.
In an aerial view, shipping cranes stand at the Port of Oakland in front of the San Francisco skyline on Oct. 24, 2022 in Oakland, California.