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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2011 6:00:11 GMT -5
Is this normal? Have you run into this before?
I went to fill up my tank last night on my way home and the gas station charge $0.09/gallon extra if you use a credit card/debit card.
Is this normal?
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2kids10horses
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Post by 2kids10horses on Apr 22, 2011 6:18:53 GMT -5
Marathon stations list cash vs credit prices. It's not unusual.
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Post by ssdawood on Apr 22, 2011 6:30:50 GMT -5
If it was advertised then its legal, not advertised then illegal.
Alot of gas station pass on the savings to the customer. Credit card charges range from 1.5 to 2.5 percent of transaction amount. So for 4 dollars a gallon you are looking at 6 cents to 10 cents charge per gallon.
So the station decides what the heck why not give this incentive to customer for paying in cash.
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2kids10horses
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Post by 2kids10horses on Apr 22, 2011 6:31:22 GMT -5
But, I have a Shell VISA card that gives me a 5% discount when I buy gas. I try to use it for gas.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2011 7:12:24 GMT -5
I had a carpet cleaning company tell me that I had to pay a surcharge if I wanted to charge it.
I told them it was illegal. The technician just shrugged and said, "If you charge it, you have to pay this fee."
So I ended up writing a check.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Apr 22, 2011 7:22:28 GMT -5
This was actually started and legally challanged years ago. They are not allowed to charge credit customers more than cash, but they are allowed to give their cash customers a discount. If that makes any sence to anyone please explain it to me. I have been trying to understand the difference for years.
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Post by piratesparrot on Apr 22, 2011 7:27:57 GMT -5
Around here (Chicago) about half of the gas stations charge more for credit. Anywhere from 4 cents to 10 cents per gallon. Even if you are using their card or a debit card. Only actual cash gets the lowest price.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2011 7:29:35 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2011 7:31:17 GMT -5
Around here (Chicago) about half of the gas stations charge more for credit. Anywhere from 4 cents to 10 cents per gallon. Even if you are using their card or a debit card. Only actual cash gets the lowest price. Yep, I used a debit card and to them that was the same as a credit card. But I find it strange they would charge the extra fee if you are carrying their card. So what is the benefit of carrying their card if it is going to costs you more for gas?
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reader79
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Post by reader79 on Apr 22, 2011 7:48:09 GMT -5
Where I live, only a few of the less reputable stations do this. The cash price will be up on the street sign, but you don't see the credit price until you are at the pump. I got caught a few times but now I know which ones to avoid.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2011 7:55:43 GMT -5
Where I live, only a few of the less reputable stations do this. The cash price will be up on the street sign, but you don't see the credit price until you are at the pump. I got caught a few times but now I know which ones to avoid. That is exactly what happened to me and since I was already there I just filled up, but I will be avoiding that gas station in the future.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 22, 2011 8:38:20 GMT -5
Tampa does it so we joined BJ's. Cheaper gas and they take ANY card.
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Post by Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ on Apr 22, 2011 9:23:19 GMT -5
Stations in NJ charge an extra 10 cents if you are using a CC. I always pay with cash, since I always put in $20 or $40 at a time.
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schildi
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Post by schildi on Apr 22, 2011 9:33:01 GMT -5
Stations in NJ charge an extra 10 cents if you are using a CC. I always pay with cash, since I always put in $20 or $40 at a time. 10 cents a gallon? Then what does the decision of paying with cash or credit have to do with how much you pay total?
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Baby Fawkes
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Post by Baby Fawkes on Apr 22, 2011 9:48:38 GMT -5
This was actually started and legally challanged years ago. They are not allowed to charge credit customers more than cash, but they are allowed to give their cash customers a discount. If that makes any sence to anyone please explain it to me. I have been trying to understand the difference for years. I think the main difference is down to the advertised price. They are not allowed to charg an extra fee because that is above the advertised/base price, but giving a discount is considered an incentive and in the consumer's favour.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 22, 2011 9:48:55 GMT -5
The convenience of not having to leave your car, go stand in line behind someone who buys a weeks worth of groceries at the gas station......
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Apr 22, 2011 9:50:04 GMT -5
I used to see this in Philly, but I don't drive to work anymore, so I haven't seen it in a while. The Indian buffet I go to for lunch often gives cash customers a 10% discount. It's $9.23 if I pay cash versus $9.56 if I use my card, so I don't sweat it since it's always under $10.
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schildi
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Post by schildi on Apr 22, 2011 9:53:21 GMT -5
I used to see this in Philly, but I don't drive to work anymore, so I haven't seen it in a while. The Indian buffet I go to for lunch often gives cash customers a 10% discount. It's $9.23 if I pay cash versus $9.56 if I use my card, so I don't sweat it since it's always under $10. That's more like a 3.5% discount, no?
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Apr 22, 2011 9:53:49 GMT -5
I used to see this in Philly, but I don't drive to work anymore, so I haven't seen it in a while. The Indian buffet I go to for lunch often gives cash customers a 10% discount. It's $9.23 if I pay cash versus $9.56 if I use my card, so I don't sweat it since it's always under $10. That's more like a 3.5% discount, no? Probably. I forget what the sign in the restaurant says, so I just pulled a number out of my ass.
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schildi
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Post by schildi on Apr 22, 2011 9:55:28 GMT -5
... so I just pulled a number out of my ass. Oh.
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Apr 22, 2011 10:12:20 GMT -5
... so I just pulled a number out of my ass. Oh. Isn't that where everyone keeps their numbers?
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 22, 2011 10:24:01 GMT -5
It's where I keep mine if it can't fit in my purse!!!
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Mad Dawg Wiccan
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Post by Mad Dawg Wiccan on Apr 22, 2011 11:02:15 GMT -5
Some places here charge more for credit. The place I go charges a flat $0.45 fee if you use a debit card.
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runewell
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Post by runewell on Apr 22, 2011 11:07:00 GMT -5
This was actually started and legally challanged years ago. They are not allowed to charge credit customers more than cash, but they are allowed to give their cash customers a discount. If that makes any sence to anyone please explain it to me. I have been trying to understand the difference for years. The same thing happens in insurance. We find a variable that helps separate out the riskier drivers and try to increase their rates commensurately. But the state doesn't allow a "surcharge". That's OK, we just raise the rates for everyone and introduce a good driver discount. In the end we accomplish the same objective.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2011 11:44:00 GMT -5
I think that businesses are allowed to give you a discount for using cash but can't charge you for using a credit card. Not sure what the difference is, other than wording.
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schildi
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Post by schildi on Apr 22, 2011 11:53:51 GMT -5
Oh. Isn't that where everyone keeps their numbers? Yeah, sure seems like it!
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fairlycrazy23
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Post by fairlycrazy23 on Apr 22, 2011 11:56:13 GMT -5
Is it really even a law, or is it part of there merchants agreement with VISA/MASTERCARD. It certainly shouldn't be a law.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Apr 22, 2011 12:38:38 GMT -5
I was buying an item for 4.99 and paid with a cc, like I always do. The store owner (I assumed he was) told me that he doesn't usually take ccs for less than $10. He was super nice about it and let me pay with cc anyway, but did say that more and more places will be discouraging customers from using cc bc fees are getting high. I don't think I've carried cash on me since 1995, I better learn how to use ATM machines, bc I never owned a debit card either Lena
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azphx1972
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Post by azphx1972 on Apr 22, 2011 13:24:32 GMT -5
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mithrin
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Post by mithrin on Apr 22, 2011 15:49:51 GMT -5
The issue about minimum charges and surcharges vs. discounts is that those are violations of the contract between the merchant and the processor. They are not illegal in criminal sense, they are a civil contract dispute. You as the customer can report a merchant to the processor, and whether they do anything about it is up to them. The customer has no standing to demand the merchant honor his contract, since the customer is not a party to that contract (all you can do is inform the processor and hope they do something).
There is legal precedent on the surcharge/discount side of things. Merchants and processors have fought over the issue and the courts have declared that if the merchant signs a contract to not charge more to CC customers, it has to abide by it (or face contractual penalties). The no surcharge clause is a legal clause in a contract. OTOH, the courts have said that processors cannot enforce a clause that prevents merchants from giving a cash discount, because the processor is not involved in that transaction, and the contract can only govern transaction that use the processor. Hence why merchants aren't supposed to add a charge for CC users, but are allowed to give cash discounts.
The gas stations I've seen that have the cash discount put the CC price on their signs, and advertise the cash discount at the pump. I still pay with my CC, because I can get back more in rewards than the cash discount offers. I would be ticked if a station put their cash price on the sign and the CC price only at the pumps, since it would be misleading advertising when I compare their price signs to other stations.
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