In the US? Where is this combination of affordability and good public transportation?
I prefer to pay Amazon using gift cards that I paid for with cash at the grocery store.
I have a credit card that I put everything on that gives me 1% cash back - if I wait to use it when they have a 50% bonus on grocery items. It’s pretty nice every couple years or so to wipe out $1200 worth of grocery purchases.
This is very true of the Czech Republic as well.
Credit cards do exist but most people use a debit card connected with their bank account if they do use a card. And like you said, cash is way more common here than in America. A lot of stores here are cash-only places. Heck, some people pay COD for online purchases here.
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I have mixed feelings about cash-back, since it’s ultimately paid by the merchants rather than the banks.
Generally, these cards are not near as good as the good travel credit cards.
This is a travel card - Chase Sapphire. I could get pretty good deals on miles or other stuff as well but for now cash is better. And its international rates are supposedly the best. Although I haven’t compared in a while.
Yes. Even with ultra-low interest rates if people can clear the whole balance every month they should be doing this.
Who buys $1,200 worth of groceries at a time! You feeding a daycare? 
You can go back and apply the cashed-in points to previous purchases.
Oh interesting, I didn’t know it worked that way. I’ve never used a cash back card. Only travel.
My travel card works the same way. It’s been frustrating going over a year without any eligible purchases to wipe out.
You can return online orders for any reason within two weeks. Cancel one order and refuse to accept the package.
That’s pretty much how it’ll go.
Unfortunately, it’s a holiday (well holidays) here in the CR so nobody’s at work. But yeah, I’ll reject the package from NextDirect because it was supposed to be cancelled and my money refunded.
Then, it’ll be a bit of a fight. Czech banks aren’t quite as cooperative as American banks when it comes to combatting shitty retailers.
One of the funnier things I overheard at a foreigner bar in China was an old Australian guy going on about how they say China isn’t free and Australia is when its only in China that you can walk down the sidewalk drinking a beer.
Seriously, though. Coming from Taiwan the lack of 24 hour convenience stores on every corner is a big adjustment.
Can confirm that I live in a location with pretty good public transportation which is incredibly walkable and I have survived car-less for ~8 years.
Can also confirm that it is in no way affordable, and the only affordable locations nearby are the ones far away from public transportation (and most of those aren’t actually that affordable).
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Can the world please do away with the “pay for the guy behind me at Starbucks” thing?
I order a black coffee. It’s $2. Don’t peer pressure me into buying 3 $9 monstrosities for the assholes behind me.
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This is a real thing? Never heard of this before.
They better wear protective clothing trying that in scotland 
I was the beneficiary of this once and didn’t pay it forward. Mainly because I didn’t know what the fuck was going on in the moment, and I haven’t been to a Starbucks drive thru since.