I respectfully disagree that a core gameplay mechanic should be encouraged by a minor inconvenience caused by a very standard device in real life not functioning as it should realistically. We don't have to buy cars in cash, we don't have to buy properties in cash. We do have to buy food and other items with cash (Which if now dated still makes sense). It does not make sense that an exclusively card-using machine in real life only accepts cash. If this was intended to be a legitimate risk/reward mechanic, there would not be an ATM at gas stations, or near any shopping locations.
If getting cash/getting rid of cash were not an instant, free process within 30 seconds run maximum anywhere inside city/business I could maybe see it. But given that ATMs are matter-energy converters that synthesize and destroy cash on a whim at no cost, it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience. I would argue that (While not being more fun for the majority of players) you could be better served by ATMs charging a transaction fee of 2-3%. This would encourage players to take out and retain cash, as making a dedicated trip to the bank to deposit it without a fee would actually be a meaningful gameplay mechanic.
To be clear, I don't think that mechanic is a good idea, but I feel like it's a much better implementation of "It's a reason to have cash" than "It's slightly less annoying at the gas pump"
While I get mugging being a gameplay feature, I think there are far better ways to encourage people to carry stuff with them instead which could actually create gameplay, rather than just be an extremely minor (But regularly frustrating) thing that factually does not make sense.
Yes but also no. Sure fuel pumps
generally do not take cash as a form of payment... in real life you are able to go make a cash payment to the person within the convenience store or other booth attached, which then allows you to fill your vehicle to the set amount that you paid. Since that would be obviously a bigger hassle than paying cash at the pump, that doesn't seem like a great alternative. Also typically speaking when at a fuel station using a bank card there is an additional surcharge due to processing fees themselves. We do not have that fee on any sort of direct bank payments of any kind, nor do I plan to add it; the same goes for ATM fees.
If we're talking about pure realism, cars have varying sizes of fuel tanks, within PH all cars (with the exception of electric vehicles) have the same size as each other, so the price for a full tank is always exactly the same (+ fuel tax). So as long as you are carrying $2,000 on your person at any given time you will be able to afford a full tank no matter the vehicle, location, taxes, octane level, etc that would create varying costs in real life.
Every single SPOil on the map has an ATM in an accessible location if needs be and realistically these days $2,000 is not that much to just keep on you at all times. You can easily make that much in a single PPS delivery bonus, not to mention how inflated job salaries are regardless of income tax. So I hardly think saying someone should be carrying cash on hand is a negative or impractical. I really don't understand the point you're trying to make with all this, as you seem to think there should be ways to encourage people to carry "stuff" on them, when this is a way, while you don't really offer any other idea(s).
Besides, another reason not mentioned by GP is that we sometimes need to slow the gameplay pace down. Fueling your vehicle itself takes very little time nor are you required to manually insert the nozzle. So rather than those always taking forever to happen every single time, we simply have a minor inconvenience of having cash on hand. Personally I think that's a good trade-off in terms of what would be more inconvenient.
Even if this is not directly realistic in a general sense, we have tons of things that are not realistic, so I don't think we need to nitpick everything.
