Just why??

From my time on Reddit years ago this question came up.

Some cashier's said they reciprocate the exchange back to the customer. If the customer puts cash on the counter for them to pick up, they'll put the change on the counter in return.

There also was probably some new training from covid where you didn't want to touch people directly, so those training materials probably still exist

I remember that explanation too. Additionally, in some cultures putting money directly into the hand of another person is frowned upon for various reasons.
- Yup it's like the other person was begging for money.
This is the right answer. Source: worked as a cashier.

You are surprised you have to pay for stuff and need minutes to find your money? I’m surprised too that I have to hand you back some change and need just as much time.

You have been an asshole in general? Just let me grab a fresh roll of small coins, open it an take coin after coin and put everything on the counter.

My all time favorite: A guy came and was ready to pay the correct sum (it was like three coins). He immediately left after putting everything on the counter. I wondered why he was in such a hurry. Then I saw that he paid with a foreign coin that looked like a 2€ coin but was actually worth around 50 Cents back then. I don’t know why but I am really good in recognizing faces. So I used my superpower for my petty revenge: I waited around 3-6 months until this guy came again. He paid with a bill. When giving him his change, I grabbed that coin as the last one placed it on the counter and gave it back.

Cashiers are human beings. They are intellectually as able as everybody else. And they know all tricks from customers. So please, have some respect for people doing their jobs.

I simply matched customer energy. If you were nice and polite I'm nice and polite. If you threw your money at me I'm hucking it across the store and you can eat shit.

Is it considered impolite to place it on the counter? I mean I get it if they had their hand out, but if they're just looking at me or busy with their hands fair fame.
- Counterpoint, if the customer places the money on the counter for payment, how is there any issue if the cashier returns change by placing it on the counter?
  
  What is considered polite may differ by region and culture. (I'm not claiming you specifically would be upset at this, it's just relevant to the meme.)
- If they're not looking I just wait until they are.
  
  As for impolite it's more an inconvenience. Especially if it's not stacked and just kinda thrown down.

I don't want to touch your hands. Especially if you were being a bit of an ass. Simple as that.

It's possible to drop change into someone's hands without physically touching them though. I don't like physical contact either, and on the rare times I pay with cash, I hand it to the cashier without making physical contact.

I remember there was one store I went to that the cashier literally put the change on the counter right beside my outstretched hand and open palm, every time. And it was annoying to pick up change from a stainless steel counter. I know I was being petty, but when I noticed the pattern, I started putting change on the counter (if I paid with coins) when paying so she could experience having to pick up coins one by one from a stainless steel surface.
- It may be possible but that doesn't mean people respect that. Some people go out of their way to touch you when receiving change back by moving their hand up and closing close to yours before youre done letting go of the change. I remember this shit when I was a cashier. Hated it.
  
  The simpler answer is not to even allow it or get close at all.
  
  I love those auto dispensers for change.
  
  Or cards. Use cards.

One of the things I thought was neat when I visited Japan was that some places would give you change back in a dedicated little tray with rubber "fingers" that made the coins easier to pick up, so you didn't struggle to pick them off a flat counter.

Common enough in eastern Europe too.

Whats worse is when they put it on top of the bills and hand it all back to you at once, like some kind of fucked up magic trick. The shit that I just bought is in my other hand, how in the fuck am I supposed to get this change into my pocket?

Pour the change into your mouth, put the bills neatly in your wallet, then put the coins in the wallet whenever they've lost their flavor.
- so I was not supposed to swallow the coins??
- Iron supplement manufacturers hate this one trick…
- FYI, the coin smell isn't actually the metal, but it's an oil layer made when metals are touched by us
  
  This is the chemical responsible for it
  
  And you can even synthethize it and make pure coin smell
Either put both the coins and bills in your pocket together and sort it out later, or don't pick your items up off the counter until you sort out your change.

Because even if they gave your paper bills back separate from the coins, if your other hand is so occupied with the items you purchased, how were you going to get the bills in your wallet anyway?

Nine times out of ten the customer is busy wrangling their items or dealing with their kid. Instead of awkwardly waiting, hand outstretched, I put the change on the counter. I then start prepping for the next customer as we're timed on the whole process.

Because cashiers don’t want to fucking touch the 1000 creepos they are forced to talk to every damn shift

Don't go to Japan if this bugs you.

Doesn't matter to me whether they put it in my hand or on the counter. Whatever works for them.

Me stares at you: I said my cash is in my car...

If you can’t be bothered to speed up the transaction by using a credit or debit card, don’t be surprised when the cashier can’t be bothered to put the change in your hand.

Handling cash is a nuisance, and slows down the line.

Edit: I know not everyone has a card. I’m talking about people who reach past a dozen of them and pay with cash anyway.

Some shops are installing cash machines. If you don't want to deal with one machine for your card, deal with the other machine for cash.

Same reason why you put it on the counter handing it to me

Literally everyone that is somehow bothered by this probably deserves it. It's so trivial and mundane. Now if the change was handed back wet...

I always get the bills dropped lightly in my palm with coins dropped in the bills like a little money burrito. Guess I'm a nice person lol. All I know is I feel the weight of the universe on my back whenever I go up to the cashier and wanna do it as fast as possible so I don't plop the money on the counter because it wastes time, just hand it over and if there's coins I hold em up to drop an inch in their hands.