Gen Z cashier doesn't recognize real cash, deeming it 'counterfeit' and it sums up the generation gap

With the introduction of digital wallets and cryptocurrency, people's relationship with money is constantly evolving. While cash in its physical form still holds importance, there is a generational shift towards exploring new and smarter payment methods. For some, this transition to digital payments is becoming a headache, especially for those who still rely heavily on cash. Earlier last month, Sam, a 22-year-old assistant manager, faced a similar problem after his Gen Z coworker mistakenly declared a customer’s money fake. The assistant manager, who goes by u/PhillipEngMBTA on Reddit, shared his recent encounter with the young cashier following the confiscation of these "counterfeit" bills.

In the post, Sam openly expressed his frustration at seeing the words 'FAKE' and 'Fake do not accept' written with Sharpie on the bills. The reported incident happened in December 2024 at a frozen yogurt shop in Florida. A customer used cash for purchases instead of relying on digital modes of payment. He handed over two $10 bills and one $5 bill to a Gen Z cashier in the store. However, the cashier, born after 1997, failed to recognize the legitimate money and deemed it fake.

Sam shared a picture of the disputed money and wrote, "These bills were confiscated by teen cashiers and deemed 'counterfeit'."

The assistant manager was surprised to see his Gen Z coworkers confidently marking the bills as 'fake.' He also expressed his upset feelings about how the bills were marked. "I shed a tear because of the Sharpie they used to scrawl onto the bills," Sam added. Furthermore, the manager had to clarify to the teenage staff members that the bills were legitimate.

In an interview with Newsweek, he emphasized that he had to explain things sternly to the new-age employees, who rarely come across such bills. Highlighting that the bills were "just old, not counterfeit," he said, "The bills are pre-1999 as far as dating goes, so they are at least 25 to 30 years old."

The manager shared that the bills paid by the customer were even older than those of the teenage employees and Sam himself. "The $5 is even older, possibly dating back to the 1960s," he explained. Moreover, he admitted that because credit and debit cards and online payment applications are so common, teenagers probably aren't accustomed to using cash. As someone who rarely uses cash, Sam asserted, "It's a digital world nowadays, so I suspect that is one reason [the young employees thought the bills were fake]."

“Another reason is that we should’ve shown the kids what different types of bills might look like since currency has changed in design a few times over the last 30 years,” the manager told the outlet. The post pointed out the generational gap in attitudes toward cash, garnering widespread attention on social media, including over 15,000 upvotes. Among the reactions, u/AccuBANKER advised, “Retailers need to stop using the pen altogether. As others have pointed out, you can fool a pen, but automatic detectors check up to 8 security features on US bills.” u/DMercenary added, “Probably no one actually trained them on the pen and the design of the bills is too different from modern bills.”