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Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .

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UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .


@Kree wrote:

I remember when my local McDonalds accepted credit cards, and I went on a trip and was so confused when the McDs a state over didn't.   Then I found out most McDs didn't accept credit cards.  Blew my mind.  The 90s were a weird time.


Yep, that was a weird time for payments, indeed.

 

I remember fondly when the fast-food places first started taking plastic but many were on dial-up.  They would take your card, but many times it would make the cashier sigh heavily as he/she figured out where they kept their ink pen as the card machine was dialing... all while you got dirty looks from anybody who might be in line behind you.  Smiley Frustrated

 

Now things have somewhat flipped... cards are actually faster than cash.  I remember years ago at the airport they even had signs telling people that cards were faster and preferred over cash... I'm assuming that was around the time food places started getting broadband (and I'm sure the airport locations were among the first).

Message 11 of 18
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .


@Anonymous wrote:

I have a story that takes the cake.

We have a local cash only restaurant.  It's been there for decades but I never knew it was a cash only restaurant.  I even ate there and only had $5 and only ate french fries (met a large group of family there).

 

I then notice their cash only sign at the cash register.  As it turns out, they have a convenient little ATM inside between the two entry/exit doors.  I would imagine most people who don't realize it's a cash only restaurant go over and take money out of the ATM to pay their bill.

 

So this restaurant does not want to pay the fees associated with credit cards.  Don't you think they are getting some kind of kickback when people pay fees for withdrawing from their ATM?


Years ago the Race Trak (gas station) in my area was cash only, but they also had an ATM inside.  They now take cards, though.  (I'm not sure if all Race Traks were like this or just the one by me).

Message 12 of 18
Kree
Established Contributor

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .


@Anonymous wrote:

I have a story that takes the cake.

We have a local cash only restaurant.  It's been there for decades but I never knew it was a cash only restaurant.  I even ate there and only had $5 and only ate french fries (met a large group of family there).

 

I then notice their cash only sign at the cash register.  As it turns out, they have a convenient little ATM inside between the two entry/exit doors.  I would imagine most people who don't realize it's a cash only restaurant go over and take money out of the ATM to pay their bill.

 

So this restaurant does not want to pay the fees associated with credit cards.  Don't you think they are getting some kind of kickback when people pay fees for withdrawing from their ATM?


Many ATMs are owned by the business, and they pay a processing fee to a bank.  Generally $1.35 per transaction. So any fee above $1.35 is going into the owner's pocket.

Message 13 of 18
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .


@UncleB wrote:

@Kree wrote:

I remember when my local McDonalds accepted credit cards, and I went on a trip and was so confused when the McDs a state over didn't.   Then I found out most McDs didn't accept credit cards.  Blew my mind.  The 90s were a weird time.


Yep, that was a weird time for payments, indeed.

 

I remember fondly when the fast-food places first started taking plastic but many were on dial-up.  They would take your card, but many times it would make the cashier sigh heavily as he/she figured out where they kept their ink pen as the card machine was dialing... all while you got dirty looks from anybody who might be in line behind you.  Smiley Frustrated

 

Now things have somewhat flipped... cards are actually faster than cash.  I remember years ago at the airport they even had signs telling people that cards were faster and preferred over cash... I'm assuming that was around the time food places started getting broadband (and I'm sure the airport locations were among the first).


I still run into a significant number of smaller places that are on dialup, unfortunately. It's why I think offline authorization should have been allowed for small transactions when the chip cards were rolled out (with the appropriate precautions to ensure that the cards could be deactivated relatively quickly should the need arise).

Message 14 of 18
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .


@UncleB wrote:

 


Years ago the Race Trak (gas station) in my area was cash only, but they also had an ATM inside.  They now take cards, though.  (I'm not sure if all Race Traks were like this or just the one by me).


 

Race trak! Lol I'd never heard of this place until like 2 weeks ago when I swiped my discover card at a gas pump and it acted kinda weird but I didn't really think much of it until I woke up the next day with a fraud alert for a 90-some dollar charge at a race trak in Florida haha I guess they cloned my card it's just weird that the information went from dc to florida, seems to me like if they would've kept it in the area maybe they could've gotten away with it a little longer but I'm sure glad they didn't haha

 

Is race trak just a florida thing or is it more nationwide? We don't have any around here that I've seen, and I never see any in Chicago or NYC either but then again I'm never driving in either of those places so maybe I just didn't notice any due to that? At first I literally thought they used my card at an actual race track lol but then I noticed it was coded as a gas station purchase

 

Now every time I see that place mentioned I'll think of this incident 🤕

Message 15 of 18
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .


@Anonymous wrote:

@UncleB wrote:

Years ago the Race Trak (gas station) in my area was cash only, but they also had an ATM inside.  They now take cards, though.  (I'm not sure if all Race Traks were like this or just the one by me).


 

Race trak! Lol I'd never heard of this place until like 2 weeks ago when I swiped my discover card at a gas pump and it acted kinda weird but I didn't really think much of it until I woke up the next day with a fraud alert for a 90-some dollar charge at a race trak in Florida haha I guess they cloned my card it's just weird that the information went from dc to florida, seems to me like if they would've kept it in the area maybe they could've gotten away with it a little longer but I'm sure glad they didn't haha

 

Is race trak just a florida thing or is it more nationwide? We don't have any around here that I've seen, and I never see any in Chicago or NYC either but then again I'm never driving in either of those places so maybe I just didn't notice any due to that? At first I literally thought they used my card at an actual race track lol but then I noticed it was coded as a gas station purchase

 

Now every time I see that place mentioned I'll think of this incident 🤕


Turns out I misspelled it in my post... it's styled "RaceTrac" (I like it better my way... LOL).  They are mostly in the south/southeast, and they are usually very competitive with gas prices (if it weren't for Kroger and their FuelPoints program I would probably be using RaceTrac even now). 

 

Here's their wiki page that includes a list of the states they are in:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RaceTrac

 

Sorry about your fraud issue... that always sucks.  Smiley Mad

Message 16 of 18
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .


@UncleB wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

@UncleB wrote:

Years ago the Race Trak (gas station) in my area was cash only, but they also had an ATM inside.  They now take cards, though.  (I'm not sure if all Race Traks were like this or just the one by me).


 

Race trak! Lol I'd never heard of this place until like 2 weeks ago when I swiped my discover card at a gas pump and it acted kinda weird but I didn't really think much of it until I woke up the next day with a fraud alert for a 90-some dollar charge at a race trak in Florida haha I guess they cloned my card it's just weird that the information went from dc to florida, seems to me like if they would've kept it in the area maybe they could've gotten away with it a little longer but I'm sure glad they didn't haha

 

Is race trak just a florida thing or is it more nationwide? We don't have any around here that I've seen, and I never see any in Chicago or NYC either but then again I'm never driving in either of those places so maybe I just didn't notice any due to that? At first I literally thought they used my card at an actual race track lol but then I noticed it was coded as a gas station purchase

 

Now every time I see that place mentioned I'll think of this incident 🤕


Turns out I misspelled it in my post... it's styled "RaceTrac" (I like it better my way... LOL).  They are mostly in the south/southeast, and they are usually very competitive with gas prices (if it weren't for Kroger and their FuelPoints program I would probably be using RaceTrac even now). 

 

Here's their wiki page that includes a list of the states they are in:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RaceTrac

 

Sorry about your fraud issue... that always sucks.  Smiley Mad


Lol I just went back and looked at the fraud alert and you are correct haha it is in fact Race Trac, and I have to agree that your way is much better - this way just makes it look like they forgot to stick the k on the end lol

 

As for the fraud it was shockingly almost painless, discover caught it IMMEDIATELY and took care of it within minutes, the only problem was the whole having to get a new account thing, missing out on a weeks worth of 4% cash back wasn't fun and looking at my credit reports was driving me insane haha - it wasn't showing the new account and my score tanked because of it, even knowing it was temporary it was still killing me... I think it actually might've just finally popped back up, while it's still not showing the account my vantage scores just jumped 25 points so idk what else it could be Cat Very Happy

 

Lol I like that they at least tried to get the most out of my money by going somewhere with good prices haha (well, discover's money now)

 

 

Edit: and whaddya know, not only did my discover card disappear from my CR, it appears to also have disappeared from my signature Smiley Frustrated

Message 17 of 18
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Why doesn't retail stores have large credit cards stickers posted on there doors .

Because cards are pretty much accepted everywhere now.  VS & MC especially.  Other cards and little back alley places are hit or miss.

Message 18 of 18
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