Who doesn't take credit/debit cards in 2008? Washington State Licensing, that's who

Normally I renew my car tabs online with a credit or debit card, but that wasn't possible this week so I visited an actual License Office. Much to my amazement there was a sign stating "We do not accept Debit or Credit cards". When my turn came to speak to an employee, I asked why. She said "we don't have the machines". I emailed the Customer Service and they responded:

Dear Andy,

We do not accept debit or credit cards in any of our licensing offices, only check or cash. We only accept the credit cards online only.

When you visit an actual office for tabs you pay an additional $4 for the privilege compared to the online price (where you can pay with plastic). Those $4s are insufficient to buy a few card readers I guess.

I remember being amazed in 1995 when finding my first local liquor store to discover it didn't take plastic either. In WA state liquor stores are run by, you guessed it, the State of Washington. It took them a few years but they did eventually get with the program.

Meanwhile here we are in 2008 and for some reason this particular piece of local government is still stuck in the 1980s. I guess they want folks to pack large wads of cash to their facilities, along with the security issues that result, both for us customers and for the offices that handle them. I mean who uses checks any more? Maybe their plan instead is to make us use the no-name ATMs in their licensing offices, which I assume they make a nice commission on.

Please WA licensing, get with the program. Let us use plastic to buy things in your offices.