Are Washington McDonald’s restaurants going cashless?

A major change may be coming to McDonald's restaurants in Washington state. Right now, probably the main question is when it will happen. Much of what McDonald's does now is pushing towards a cashless situation. The use of mobile apps Is just one example. 

According to MSN.com,
‘food titans like McDonald's are accelerating the shift toward a cashless ecosystem. From tone-service alcoves to mobile ordering apps and contactless payments, the brand is reconsidering how guests interact with quick- service cafes. While the move promises speed and effectiveness, it also raises important questions about availability, sequestration, and consumer gesture.’
 

What does this mean for consumers? 

Using the McDonald's mobile app, guests can earn loyalty points, order and pay in advance, and gain access to special promotional prices. All they need is a smartphone and the knowledge of how to use it. 

Online and in-house digital ordering systems now mean orders are more accurate. The customer places the order directly. 

On the flip side. 

Every digital sale creates new data for McDonald's. Information that they can use to aggregate preferences and purchase frequency and create targeted marketing. 

However, not every McDonald's customer has the ability or the hardware to order or pay digitally. Some elderly guests, low-income customers, and someone without a smartphone. These individuals might find it very difficult as McDonald's moves towards a cashless business. 

In my daily life, I seldom use cash anymore. Only a few occasions arise, and I hardly ever use cash at McDonald's anymore. I still carry some cash just in case. Every Sunday, I need it because Jimmy'z Diner in East Wenatchee normally doesn't accept credit cards, and I'm fine with that.  

Here's what I want to know. 

Now that we're no longer using pennies, how is this going to impact our cashless society? If the state of Washington is requiring businesses to round up or down to the nearest nickel, why is that necessary if I'm using a credit or debit card? If I'm not paying cash, rounding the price up or down to the nearest nickel is kind of a moot point isn't it? 

I'm sorry, this is just the way my brain works sometimes.