In TNG, Picard says that the Federation has evolved past a need for money. Indeed, we never see any.

In DS9 though, Quark talks a lot about bar tabs and costs. Surely Oā€™Brien and Bashir donā€™t get free drinks, so how do they pay? Iā€™d assume that any Ferengi worth his lobes wonā€™t accept anything that can be replicated, so do Federation officers get a stipend of tradeable ā€œvalueā€ when interacting with cultures that still expect payment?

I think thereā€™s also a reference to Quark paying rent to Sisko for running the bar. Presumably thatā€™s denominated in latinum. I wonder where it goes? Maybe the secret ā€œGarak black opsā€ fund.

  • hallettj@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Another time money comes up is the episode, In the Cards, where Jake wants to buy a Willie Mays baseball card to cheer up his dad. He talks Nog into paying for it because as a Federation citizen Jake doesnā€™t have any money.

    I found some of the dialogue on Memory Alpha:

    Itā€™s my money, Jake! If you want to bid at the auction, use your own money.

    Iā€™m Human, I donā€™t have any money.

    Itā€™s not my fault that your species decided to abandon currency-based economics in favor of some philosophy of self-enhancement.

    Hey, watch it. Thereā€™s nothing wrong with our philosophy. We work to better ourselves and the rest of Humanity.

    What does that mean exactly?

    It meansā€¦ it means we donā€™t need money!

    Well, if you donā€™t need money, then you certainly donā€™t need mine!

    I also imagine Starfleet officers in a non-Federation posting getting stipends. Or maybe Quark and other business owners bill the Federation for whatever Federation citizens buy? And maybe that arrangement doesnā€™t extend to the auction with the baseball card?

    There are references to Jake buying from some of the stationā€™s businesses. I think I remember him buying jom-jom sticks, and dining at the Klingon restaurant. (Did Jake ever use a holosuite on his own?) Iā€™m thinking either Jake has some sort of allowance or stipend, and is exaggerating when he says he ā€œdoesnā€™t have moneyā€, or those businesses make special arrangements for Federation citizens.

    • hallettj@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      This leads me to another thought: are station residents charged for using the replicators in their quarters? I imagine the replimat charging like other station businesses; so what about private replicators? Or maybe Iā€™m wrong, and the replimat is a free public service?

      Iā€™m guessing replicator use would be free under Federation jurisdiction the same way Quark isnā€™t charged rent. But on the other hand, itā€™s a Bajoran station - Starfleet only administers it. Now Iā€™m wondering what kind of negotiating went on to get the struggling provisional government to pass up revenue from DS9 rental spaces.

      • flicker@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        You just know Bajor happily relinquished the potential income from rental spaces on the station in exchange for the Federation keeping their military presence there.

    • DrChaotica@startrek.website
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      1 year ago

      Iā€™m thinking either Jake has some sort of allowance or stipend, and is exaggerating when he says he ā€œdoesnā€™t have moneyā€

      I mean, having walking around money and having Mom-style ā€œnow thatā€™s walking around moneyā€ (i.e. enough to buy a Willy Mays rookie card) are two different things.