Yes, but I was talking about a scenario where there is no network connectivity and hence no ability to take card payments.

In the case of getting paid something versus getting paid nothing, I am guessing most merchants will opt to put in the work to accept cash rather than shut down.

Note that some retailers can and do store and forward transactions, for example with gas stations using satellite connectivity for payment processing. The amount one stores depends upon one's fraud tolerance.

There are attacks where bad guys will disable a gas station's dish (by covering it with foil among other methods) and then rack up a bunch of gasoline sales with a stolen card. They've got generally got a limited window so they have to hit a bunch of local stations quickly, but meth users aren't known for high dollar scores.

But if someone robs you then you have both zero money and less merch due to sales that day. I'm guessing a lot of places will err on the side of caution rather than some income.

I saw a supermarket operate with calculators ~10 years ago when power grid was off for days. I don't believe I will see it again at least not in any big store as financial conciliation is a PITA and the old ways are lost. But small vendors that are often marginalized by the market will.