bradykp

So I'm headed out on business, and my boss goes to an Exxon station to fill up his new MDX (damn this thing eats gas). anyways, it's 2.99 for premium, but there's a sign that says 3.19 by credit card, 2.99 by cash!

since they pump it for you in jersey, he didnt notice til the car was almost full.

What a rip off!

LoveMyTL-S

Dayum! I've never heard of a price difference for using a credit card vice cash..... That bites........

gdcwatt

That's over 6%! I wonder if there's really an investigative new report subject here, or just an enterprising marketer; some stations must have lower overheads than others. The local corner store won't take debit cards on transactions of less than $5, and the dry cleaner adds 25c or 40c for the privillage, and but what does it really cost for the convenience?

Howard911s

i will kill to pay 2.99 for premium, that is a great price, i will even be happy if i pay 3.19 for gas, its 3.29 to 3.37 for premium here in los angeles county where I live...... be happy with that price!!!!

jlukja

You could probably get away with it too.










$3.25 is the lowest I saw yesterday for 91.

IlliNorge

Maybe 20 years ago I remember stations on the highways upcharging if you used credit. Now they prefer credit, if it means you don't drive off without paying. $2.99 out here for the cheap 91.

By the way, best use of smilies that I've never seen before goes to jlukja.

Dan Martin

It's actually againts the credit card company's terms and conditions if a vendor charges a premium for using credit cards. Report it to Visa/MC/Amex/whoever and they'll lay the smack down.

They can (and will) pull the vendors rights to taking credit card payments if they don't comply.

supraken

iTrader: (1)

I went into that situation once in Queens, NY too, but it was a more ghetto looking Exxon. I think it is some old practice that 99% gas stations have gotten rid of.

As a side note, I went to an Exxon station last night in NJ....and..........they told me they had no gas! Went to a second one a few miles down rt 17, NO GAS! Luckily at the last Exxon before going into NY had gas, or else I would probably be out of gas....

Last night was the first time where I had this eriee (sp?) feeling that the world was running out of gasoline, it just felt really weird.

dalieu

First off, I agree with the guy from LA, $2.99 for premium is cheap! In San Diego, CA, it's $3.20-$3.50. I went to the gas station yesterday and paid $3.35 for 91!

I have been to many gas stations that charge you extra when you use a credit card.

Two stations, I forgot which brand(s), charges you $0.35 extra when you use a credit card. I stop going there when I found out.

The 76's around here have two different prices, one for cash and one for credit. I try to go here because their cash price is cheaper than other stations' prices, however their credit price makes them more expensive. I use my debit card which they consider cash. *shrugs*

SodaLuvr

76 stations around here (sacramento) do the same with the cash/credit prices...about a $0.10/gal difference. I'm not sure if its against VISA policy though.

For one thing, many Chinese restaurants in SF do not accept credit cards...

Motohip

Really??? So there's some place that charge a fee if you purchase something less than the minimum...for example if I get something under $5.00 they will charge me $0.25 or something...is that not allowed??? Cause I know so many places that do this. I'ma hafta give Visa a call...

Motohip

But not accepting it is different than charging a fee to use it. Nobody is forced to take credit cards.

Spy

I know theres a few places that have a minimum price if you are going to use a credit card (usually around $10). I believe its because the credit card company charges a fee for each transaction.

Rpappi

for that price it would be worth it to use the ATM machine inside the store and eat the 1-2 dollar fee

Conman

I can name at least 5 different gas stations around town that do the stupid "extra charge" for credit card. It's especially annoying for me because the two closest gas stations to my house charge more when using credit cards. Generally, it's about 5-6 cents more per gallon if you want to use a credit card. I refuse to go to those places.

I've noticed that the gas stations that employ this shadiness are usually 76 stations or mom-n-pop shops.

fuckleberry

mickey513

Isn't the practice of charging more for gas if you use a CC illegal in CA?????

elkapetan21

I was at a Liqour store in Myrtle Beach last week, and if I was paying with cash it was cheaper than credit card. I thought it was very weird!

CJams

I just started accepting Cards and I don't remember reading anything in my contract that says I'm not allowed to charge a fee for CC use. I don't think it's illegal. Credit cards aren't a government form of currency. It's more of a luxury/convenience. ATM machines cost up to $3 to use your card, same thing.

Most CC vendors charge $.25-60 per CC transactions and another 1.75% of the total amount of the sale for MC and Visa. Amex cost even more and debit card transactions are like $.90 per transaction. On top of those fees are the $30-70 per month just to have the CC machine in the shop, plus billing and other BS fees they throw on top of it.

Would you rather have them raise the price on everything or keep the price lower and give you the option to save money by choosing the right payment method?

Dan Martin

Last year, I helped 30+ franchisees set up bank accounts and establish credit card systems for their businesses. I assure you it's in your contract that you are prohibited to either charge a transaction fee or set a minimum purchase amount.

Straight from Visa's website:

iamhomin

Though it may be PITA to go through the paperworks (if any), do it for the greater good. They stopped charging extra for CC usage more than two decades ago..

paranode

Yup it is against the rules but lots of people do it anyway. They can get shut down if reported.

TacoBellSauce

i just spent over $170 to fill up 3 cars with V Power 93 octane @ $3.05 a gallon ;(

Bloodymess13

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Taco bell......


ahhh anyway, yeah its against the rules to do that, but its not against the law. The card company will just cut them off.

Dan Martin

It's not illegal, but if you're a gas station that can't take credit cards, you might as well close your doors.

CJams

I don't charge an extra fee for using CC. But I do offer a discount for cash purchases. Guess we can squeez by that way. All the prices have been raised, but items purchased by cash are always on sale unless of course the customer is a PIA.

CKcentral

That is pretty lame having different prices. If the gas station cant afford the extra fee then they just need to not take credit cards. Luckly nothing like that is going on in Ohio.

Newplay1

Thats crazy, my girl just told me she went to fill up her car last night and the gas station dude said they only have regular no premium.

Mugenpwp

Just a question. I was down in NJ/NYC a few weekends ago and my wife and I were talking about whether we had to tip the gas attendent that pumps the gas for us at the full-service stations.

We told him to keep the change as we filled up that one time....

Newplay1

You only tip if they do somthing special like clean your front and rear windshield / check your oil level..

Alin10123

Actually, M/C and Visa dont charge that much to take transactions but AMEX takes a lot. That's why gas stations sometimes charge more for CC. THe higher the retail price of gas, the lower the markup. Sometimes only a few cents. If the CC companies are taking $.40+2% or something, there's really not much left for them to make at all.

Although... charging a transaction fee OR putting a requirement on minimum purchases is NOT legal because in their credit card agreement they aren't allowed to do that.

jpt

The amount credit card companies charge per transaction varies with the volume of the business (and is generally negotiable and always way higher than it should be). It should be illegal for the CC companies to prevent stores from passing these charges on to the customer, but it's not (because the individual companies are not monopolies, and it can't be proven that they collude to establish these anticompetitive practices -- in fact, they probably really don't).

jpt

I never tip someone for providing a "service" I didn't want but have been forced to use to begin with. (Like the valet at a restaurant I went to the other day, who I caught parking cars in the non-valet lot in order to force people to use the "free" valet parking. Here's a tip, buddy: let me park my own damn car next time )

Regardless, the gas station attendants in Jersey are so bad that I usually fill up in Delaware just to be sure I won't have to stop for gas in NJ. If you absolutely have to get gas there, watch the guy like a hawk, make sure he doesn't keep pumping after the pump stops the first time because he's too lazy to get change for you, and make ABSOLUTELY sure he doesn't put gas anywhere other than in your tank (my friend once caught a guy WASHING HIS HANDS with gasoline after filling up his tank )!

bradykp

i was told it was ok for vendors to require a minimum purchase, but not charge extra. anyone know about this?

YOTH

A self-service Mobil station in my neighborhood does the same thing. I'm happily filling up the car and then when its done I noticed the details on the screen showing I'm paying 10 cents/gal more because I'm charging the purchase.

bradykp

Gas is generally cheap in NJ because they don't charge tax on the gas. So while 40 cents might be tax in california, jersey is straight up charing around $3.00

bradykp

debit doesn't count as a fee transaction. it's electronic funds transfer, which is less secure and doesn't carry a fee for the recepient, where credit is a secure network and does have a transaction fee.

bradykp

Having the capability definitely increases business you get, and more than justifies the costs. I won't go to business that do not accept credit, and i certainly won't go to business that charge me a blatent premium for doing so.

bradykp

"full service" implies thye should pump your gas, clean your windows, check your oil...etc"

though a tip is nice, it's not standard.

if they offer to clean your windows or check your oil, it might be nice to tip, but usually you have to request these things.

also, when i've requested the window clean, i often get bad responses, or they are plain out of fluid.

bradykp

it's perfectly ok for companies to pass the costs on. they have to figure out their overall cost, and include it in the price. that's it. not seperate prices for seperate purchase types. that's bogus.

you wouldn't be getting my business if you didn't accept CC, so why are you charging me extra? take the profit you're getting off me as increased business and stop being so damn greedy. when you raise your volume, get a better contract with lower transaction fees.

heck, you can even make deals with companies like discover if you promise to only exclusively accept their card and get discounts. that's what Sam's Club does.