Was talking with friends about this last night. I was reminded that they did have Federation credits and offered to buy stuff with them. This led me to check the Trek wiki Memory Alpha, and I found some very interesting facts.

 Quote:
Ronald D. Moore commented: "By the time I joined TNG, Gene had decreed that money most emphatically did NOT exist in the Federation, nor did 'credits' and that was that. Personally, I've always felt this was a bunch of hooey, but it was one of the rules and that's that." (AOL chat, 1997)


Which leads me to repeat:

 Originally Posted By: thedoctor
Still, sometime in the mid seventies, Roddenberry lost his goddamn mind and started to push the whole socialaist utopia and 'Starfleet isn't a military organization' bullshit that most of the writers had to include but didn't really like. I think they just paid lip service to it but pretty much ignored it on the whole. And if we're going with the reboot, that motherfucker had Nokia phones and Budweiser beer.


Also:


  • James T. Kirk stated that the Federation Starfleet had a lot invested in both him and Commander Spock. In fact, Starfleet had 122,200 plus credits invested in Spock by the end of 2267. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy", "The Apple")
  • In 2267, Uhura offered to purchase a tribble from Cyrano Jones for ten credits. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")
  • In 2364, Beverly Crusher bought a roll of cloth and had her account on the USS Enterprise-D billed. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
  • The Federation would have paid 1.5 million Federation credits as a lump sum and then 100,000 credits every Barzanian year for the rights to the Barzan wormhole. (TNG: "The Price")
  • In 2373, Quark indirectly caused damage to a cargo bay. Quark was informed that he would have to bear the cost burden for the repairs. (DS9: "Business as Usual")
  • When Quark rescued Gaila from a Federation Starbase after his arrest on Thalos VI, he had to pay a fine before he could be released. (DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi")
  • Benjamin Sisko threatened Quark to collect on four years "back rent" that was unpaid. (DS9: "Bar Association")
  • On numerous occasions, Starfleet officers have gambled to win latinum at Quark's Bar, including Julian Bashir, William Riker, Jadzia Dax.
  • Kirk said to Picard "This is my house, I sold it years ago." inside the Nexus, referring directly to the sale of his former home. (Star Trek Generations)

whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules.
It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness.
This is true both in politics and on the internet."

Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."