Oops: McDonalds kiosks exclude cash-paying diners

I have a bank account. I didn't know that an estimated 8.4 million Americans don't have debit cards or bank accounts.

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In its drive to boost sales with self-ordering kiosks, McDonalds overlooked a a key piece of data about its customers: An estimated 8.4 million Americans don't have debit cards or bank accounts, so they can't use the kiosks in about 9,000 locations, reports the Chicago Tribune. That's a problem for many franchises that have spent up to $750,000 per store for the kiosks and other upgrades. The tech push was a favorite of recently ousted CEO Steve Easterbrook, but franchisees, who make up about 93 percent of the 38,000 McDonald's restaurants globally, bristled at the cost, notes TheStreet.com. McDonald's says it is now testing kiosks that accept cash in a "small handful of U.S. restaurants."

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