NEW YORK—When Amazon introduced its Go convenience store last year, much of the hype surrounded the fact that customers didn’t have to check out—in fact, they used an app to both scan and pay for purchases.
 
But as the company enters the New York City marketplace, this Amazon Go location—which opened yesterday—also accepts cash, NBC New York reports. All other Amazon Go locations can only be entered with an app that links to a credit card or Amazon account.
 
Customers can buy local products from Hale & Hearty, Magnolia Bakery and Epicured at the NYC location, which also serves ready-to-eat snacks and meals from Amazon. In the NYC Go, a worker will swipe in those who want to pay by cash, then use a mobile device to scan and check out cash payment customers. The store won’t have traditional cash registers.
 
“This is how we’re starting,” said Cameron Janes, head of Amazon’s physical stores. “We're going to learn from customers on what works and what doesn't work and then iterate and improve it over time.”
 
A backlash against cash-free retailers has been growing, with Philadelphia becoming the first city to ban cashless stores. New Jersey recently banned cash-free retail locations, and San Francisco and New York City also are considering a similar measure. Amazon indicated it would address those concerns, although it hasn’t said when other Go stores would start letting customers pay with cash.