The Pandemic made cash transactions at your favorite restaurants virtually non-existent by virtue of health concerns as many places stopped accepting cash payments. If you are an avid Portillo’s drive-thru eater and haven’t made the switch to using a debit or credit card, now is the time to make the switch, albeit for non-health reasons.
Portillo’s has announced they will only be accepting payments, when using the drive-thru, from major debit and credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. They will no longer be taking cash payment when visiting locations via their drive-thru lanes. According to NBC Chicago, the change is for safety and efficiency reason.
While this shouldn’t be too much of a concern for most, it will certainly be an inconvenience for cash users. Portillo’s will still allow you to pay with cash inside restaurants, so during the coldest days of winter you will have to exit your warm vehicle.
For those that don’t yet have a debit or credit card, but still wish to use the Portillo’s drive-thru, consider signing up with or purchasing a prepaid debit card. These can be purchased at most major retailers including Walmart, Target, Mariano’s, Jewel-Osco, and other grocery stores & retail locations throughout Chicagoland.
Although not really discussed in the articles I’ve read about this change, you should still be fine using Portillo’s gift cards in drive-thru.
The new policy is set to start on January 16th.
