The Associated Students Bookstore at Western Washington University, located in the Viking Union, transitioned to a fully cashless system on March 2, 2026.
Bookstore Director Laura Konick said the decision was driven largely by the declining use of cash among customers.
“Only about 1.3% of our sales last fiscal year were cash, and this year we’re below 1%,” Konick said.
Despite the low volume, staff were spending significant time on the clock managing physical currency. Konick said employees collectively spent about an hour and 20 minutes each day counting registers, preparing deposits and transporting funds to campus offices.
“When we looked at the amount of time we spent handling cash for the percentage of cash coming in, it just didn’t make sense,” she said.
Assistant Manager Jenni McDowell said eliminating cash handling will allow staff to focus more on assisting students and maintaining textbook inventory.
“Less time counting cash means more time helping students find what they need,” McDowell said.
The bookstore also considered the potential phase-out of the penny, which could require rounding for cash transactions but not card payments, creating small pricing inconsistencies.
Students who only have cash can still use a reverse ATM in the Viking Union to convert cash into a prepaid debit card. Purchases can also be charged to student accounts and paid later with cash at the student business office.
According to Konick, the bookstore announced the change about a month in advance and has received little feedback so far.
“Most people are already used to paying with cards,” she said.
Karsin Hutchins is a 3rd year studying PR at Western. She is currently reporting for the campus news beat on The Front. Outside of school, she can be found working with kids at the CDC on campus, hiking outside or at the beach. You can reach her at karsinhutchins.thefront@gmail.com.
