08-31-2012 08:32 AM
Dadaluma83 wrote:Wrong, surcharges are still a violation of the merchant agreement in all 50 states. The lawsuit settlement allowing surcharges hasn't even been accepted yet let alone taken effect.
What they are doing violates their merchant agreement with all 4 card companies. Report them.
You are right, filling out that form for Amex right now!
08-31-2012 08:46 AM
Hmm how do gas stations get away with it....$3.48 for cash $3.58 for credit, isn't that a surcharge? Just curious
08-31-2012 09:01 AM
bluewillow wrote:Hmm how do gas stations get away with it....$3.48 for cash $3.58 for credit, isn't that a surcharge? Just curious
I know that once there was such an agreement, but I'm not sure if it's still in place after Visa/MC's settlement with the DOJ.
So long as it is uniformly applied, my understanding is that a merchant is free to give a cash and credit price. This is no longer contra to a merchant agreement with MC and Visa. Even with Amex, the agreement allows for a merchant to practice price discrimination, but so long as it is uniformly applied throughout all credit payment spectrums.
08-31-2012 09:48 AM
bluewillow wrote:Hmm how do gas stations get away with it....$3.48 for cash $3.58 for credit, isn't that a surcharge? Just curious
It is not a surcharge because the way it is worded. All merchants are allowed to give a "discount" for cash customers, but they cannot surcharge to use a CC though. It's alllllllll in the wording....
Example:
You want to buy a shirt with a $20 price tag. The store says, if you pay in cash, we can give you a $1 discount, so your final purchase price is $19. What they CANNOT do is charge you $1 extra because you use you CC, so they cannot make you pay $21 for the same shirt. Therefore, all the price tags in that store (and gas stations) are "credit card" prices. If they wish to discount to use cash, they may.
Essentially, yes they are charging you more to use credit. But, because the way they word it... they can get a way with it. They are not making you pay more to use credit, they are allowing you to pay less to use cash... Tricky tricky....
08-31-2012 11:30 AM

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