Basically the civic does not "allow" you to spend money instead of influence, it forces you to spend money and removes the option of spending influence. If it instead said "Changes price of claim, attach, and merge Territories to money instead of influence" it would be clear what this civic does. I thought I now had the option of spending either gold or influence. I really do not think "allow" is the right term to use. Allowing something means it's optional for you to do it. But either the civic is not working as intended (allowing to use either) or it is worded poorly.