A complaint has surfaced on Facebook's "La Candonga Santa Clara" group, where a user named Monbay Gale revealed on Saturday that a private business in Santa Clara, Villa Clara, refused to let an elderly woman pay for two eggs using Transfermóvil.
The price of each egg was 110 Cuban pesos, meaning the total transaction was a mere 220 pesos.
The elderly lady did not have cash on her, but she had 650 pesos available on her bank card, which the complainant confirmed by helping her authenticate the app on her phone.
Initially, the shop assistant agreed to accept the digital payment. However, a man, described by Gale as the apparent manager of the establishment, abruptly intervened and strictly prohibited any digital transactions.
"Out of nowhere, this guy, standing outside in the photo with a white jacket and a piece of bread in his hand, storms in like a madman, yelling that there won’t be any more digital payments accepted for anyone," Monbay Gale recounted in his post.
In response to the situation, Gale decided to purchase five eggs for the elderly woman out of his own pocket.
However, he emphasized that his aim was not just to recount the incident but to highlight the unreasonable nature of the refusal: "I understand life is tough, and these private businesses struggle to maintain cash flow, but you don't have to be so extreme. How can you refuse such a small amount of 220 pesos to a poor elderly person and leave them without food?"
Gale also called for official intervention, suggesting: "What should happen is an inspector should come, not show their ID, buy whatever they want, and when asked to pay via Transfermóvil, this guy refuses again, then the inspector reveals the ID and slaps a 70,000 peso fine on him."
Context of Non-Compliance with Digital Payment Regulations
This situation arises amid reports that less than 10% of private businesses in Cuba fully comply with banking regulations as of May 2026.
The Ministry of Domestic Trade's Resolution 93/2023, effective since February 2024, mandates all establishments—state, private, SMEs, and self-employed workers—to facilitate payment gateways like Transfermóvil or EnZona, with penalties including fines, closures, and license cancellations for non-compliance.
Despite Prime Minister Manuel Marrero's 2023 statement that "nobody can refuse" electronic payments from customers, resistance remains widespread. Private merchants require cash to procure supplies from vendors who also decline digital payments, and cash transactions make it easier to evade taxes.
In Santiago de Cuba, conversion fees of up to 50% for turning digital payments into cash highlight the liquidity crisis gripping the island.
Egg Scarcity and Social Media Backlash
Adding to the issue is a severe shortage of eggs. The regime acknowledged a 43% drop in production in January 2025, and by April 2026, egg cartons were priced over 3,000 pesos in Holguín's private markets.
The incident of an elderly person unable to purchase two eggs for 220 pesos sparked outrage on social media, garnering over 300 reactions.
By September 2024, the regime had identified 26,538 deficiencies nationwide for violating digital payment rules, resulting in over 15,000 fines totaling more than 71 million pesos, and 58 additional business closures were executed that month.
Understanding Cuba's Digital Payment Challenges
Why did the private business refuse digital payment?
The refusal was primarily due to the business's need for cash to procure supplies from vendors who do not accept digital payments, alongside the easier tax evasion cash offers.
What does the Cuban law say about digital payments?
According to the Ministry of Domestic Trade's Resolution 93/2023, all businesses are required to provide digital payment options like Transfermóvil or EnZona, with non-compliance leading to sanctions.
How significant is the issue of egg scarcity in Cuba?
The scarcity is severe, with production falling by 43% as of January 2025, and prices skyrocketing to over 3,000 pesos per carton in some areas by April 2026.