Does Luckin Coffee Accept Cash? Customer Service Responds to Cash Payment Difficulties

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Difficulty with Cash Payments at Luckin Coffee Stores

Recently a netizen posted on social media that they wanted to pay cash at Luckin Coffee, but staff repeatedly steered them toward mobile ordering and said that if they wanted to pay cash they would have to wait, since the store was busy. After waiting seven or eight minutes, the netizen's friend said they were in a hurry and needed to place an order, but the staff still suggested mobile ordering.

Subsequently the netizen expressed dissatisfaction that staff kept pushing mobile ordering while refusing cash, and asked whether there was any rule prohibiting cash payment. Only then did another staff member come out from the office to accept the cash and place the order on their phone for the customer. This led the netizen to question Luckin Coffee, asking whether the store lacked an ordering machine or whether cash payments were simply not allowed.

Previous Incidents of Cash Payment Issues

On the difficulty of using cash at Luckin stores, netizens had previously posted about an elderly man who ran into trouble at the counter when trying to buy coffee because he didn't know how to use mobile ordering. The post described how the gentleman saw several cups of coffee at the pickup area and wanted to buy one. After the staff told him he needed to scan a QR code with his phone to order, they turned away to prepare drinks.

Later the gentleman walked around for a while, genuinely unsure how to order, and asked about the price of coffee, wanting to buy one. At that point another staff member told him there were different price options, and after he chose, the staff member picked up a phone to place the order.

Regarding this incident, the netizen mentioned that Luckin has opened several stores in third and fourth-tier cities, all requiring mobile orders, and that they had never placed an order at a counter. They then asked in confusion, "Does Luckin really not have counter ordering?"

Staff Responses and Company Clarification

At the time, Luckin's official team did not respond to the incident. However, many commenters who work at Luckin indicated that employees can actually use their phones to help customers place orders and accept cash, which is part of their job, though no discounted prices are available. If customers are willing to accept this, most employees are still willing to help place the order.

In response to such explanations, many netizens expressed understanding, noting that while many other chain restaurants now encourage mobile ordering, they still keep ordering machines to provide manual ordering service. This is considered the most basic requirement in the service industry, something that should be maintained even during busy periods.

On this recent cash payment issue, official customer service responded to media inquiries by saying: "Cash payments are acceptable. Upon arriving at the store, store partners can help place orders through the app or mini-program. After confirming the order information is correct, customers can pay cash to the store. Online ordering is for better after-sales service, allowing immediate resolution if problems arise."

Analysis of Luckin's Service Strategy

On Luckin stores not offering manual ordering service, industry analysts believe this stems from Luckin's pursuit of maximum efficiency. Luckin's store design uses a model of small stores with minimal staff, eliminating the need for dedicated personnel to handle manual ordering, which saves labor costs and supports its low-price strategy.

Still, while saving costs matters, if manual ordering service is to be offered, all employees' service awareness must be improved during training. In incidents like this one, where cash payment was eventually accepted and customers were willing to accept that cash payments get no discount, it would have been better to resolve the issue directly from the start rather than making customers wait and waste time. The time employees spent repeatedly suggesting mobile ordering would have been enough to solve the problem.

Image source: Internet, Boss Connect

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