Postal Letter

Why every time people pay with a card US Postal Service clerk asks the customer whether they'd like cash back?

Why every time people pay with a card US Postal Service clerk asks the customer whether they'd like cash back? What's the deal? What's the catch? I asked USPS clerk and she told me she has no idea and she says USPS does not make any profit from offering "cash back".

Public Comments

1. Because you can get cash back, and the clerk has to enter the amount manually. Not everything is tilted toward profit, some things are just a service. At supermarkets, they ask the same question, if the keypad does not prompt for cash back.
2. *Every* place you use your debit card to make a purchase asks if you want cash back. The grocery store does. The convenience store down at the corner does. CVS does. And so does the post office. It's not any kind of conspiracy. It's a normal part of using your debit card to make a purchase.
3. Cash back is just a service widely used in grocery stores, specialty stores, etc. for customers to have pocket change if they may happen to need it. Recently, cashiers have abused the cash back system by charging cash back even if the customer did not want to, and keeping the money for themselves. Because the cash back charge only shows on the receipt, which some customers may not check immediately as they are leaving, the cashier can slip a $20.00 (or use the help of a friend or employee) out of the register later (because they are on camera).