Popular Vancouver attraction is going cashless and visitors are not happy
The Vancouver Aquarium has announced it will no longer accept cash starting next month, and fans are voicing their displeasure online.
The popular attraction shared the news on its website and on social media this week, citing its priority of “creating a seamless guest experience.”
“To support this, we’re transitioning to a fully cashless environment,” said the Aquarium online.
“As of May 2026, we will only accept electronic payments, including debit and credit cards, as well as mobile options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.”
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Daily Hive reached out to Canada’s largest aquarium to find out more information about the new cashless environment, as well as the reason for the change.
A representative referred to the FAQ section on the Vancouver Aquarium website, which states that the change will help streamline transactions and make purchases “quicker, easier, and more secure for both guests and staff.”
“Vancouver Aquarium will provide a faster, safer and more guest-friendly experience, similar to Rogers Arena, Vancouver Lookout, (and the) PNE,” reads the FAQ.
“Team members will spend less time handling cash and more time serving guests.”
Vancouver Aquarium
Social media users shared their frustration with the announcement, calling the move “disappointing.”
“This would be a terrible inconvenience and frustration to many visitors, including parents who send their kids with friends/other family members and want to send along money for them to spend,” said one commenter.
“So what happens when the system goes down and you can’t use the card for payment,” added another person. “Close down ’til systems are back up and running?
“Seems silly for a tourist attraction to be cashless. Tourists bring cash.”
Blake Callahan/Shutterstock
The Vancouver Aquarium will be installing two complimentary cash-to-card kiosks for visitors who only bring cash with them during their visit.
The cash will be loaded onto the prepaid card and can be used anywhere within the attraction, as well as any other location that accepts debit and credit cards.
Many commenters were displeased with the cash-to-card option.
“Not faster. You will have lines of tourists and locals alike at two machines trying to figure out cash in and cards out,” wrote a follower on the Aquarium’s social media post.
“When it messes up, we then have to go to the counter to figure it out. Meanwhile, a simple cash transaction for a plate of fries would have been two minutes.”
However, not everyone was against the cashless move by the Aquarium.
“I’ll still be going cause I always carry around my wallet, like how most adults do (in this said wallet is most likely a debit card),” said one person. “But in case I don’t feel like carrying around my ID (as most adults do), I’ll use my Apple Pay (there’s also Google Pay).”
The announcement by the Aquarium comes just days after the City of Vancouver announced that it is ending the option to pay for parking with coins.
By the end of April, the City confirmed to Daily Hive Urbanized that they will be eliminating coins as a payment option for street parking “in an effort to streamline operations and modernize parking infrastructure.”
Do you support the Vancouver Aquarium’s move to a cashless environment? Are you frustrated by the announcement? Let us know in the comments or get in touch at vancouver@dailyhive.com.