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

Im not touching your fuckin hand you booger eating ass scratching finger bangin dick beaters

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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

Cash has been so uncommon in my country for a very long time. It's like an insult to give a friend cash, like, "Here. This is your problem now."

I think I used to just hold my open wallet in one hand and accept the cash in the other, slide the coins off, slot the notes in, and grab my stuff. I don't remember it being annoying. Though our notes were polymer so coins slid easy.

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

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

Don't go to Japan if this bugs you.

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.

"They told me to stop touching the customers. Have a nice day."

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...

How would they know if you didn't scratch your anus before?

They don't want to touch you, or to depend on your qualifications in order to fulfill the task

Putting the change on the counter leaves 0 chance that you'll fuck up the process for them, in any way

"why don't strangers touch me more?"

no thanks.

Checking if you chew your nails

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.