5 ms·

I am fully aware of this rule, and I have a strategy to deal with it. The last time I had trouble I was trying to get a ride from the Javits to Queens. Having

by Apreche 16y ago

I am fully aware of this rule, and I have a strategy to deal with it. The last time I had trouble I was trying to get a ride from the Javits to Queens. Having a friend helped. First we would take a picture of the cab as it approached, getting the number on the roof and proof that he was on duty. What guys will do who refuse you, but know they aren't allowed to, is switch their on/off duty light. If you tell them you are going to report them and have a picture, they might suck it up and give you the ride. If they refuse, call 311. On a moderately related note, did you know that it is a violation of a merchant account agreement for anyone who accepts a credit card as payment to have a minimum charge or to charge you a different price because you chose to pay by credit/debit? If someone is giving you trouble, call the number on the back of the credit card to report them.

Timothee 16y ago
On your second point, I'd like to ask if that applies to gas stations as well. Because many of them display in big numbers a price that is reserved for cash, while a higher one (~10-15c more a gallon) for credit. Is it illegal? On a related note, I also believe (no link or citation sorry) that there can't be a maximum on the amount you want to pay with credit. For example, car dealerships tend to say they can only accept up to a certain amount to be put on a credit card, even though the agreements with credit card companies say they can't do that.
- Apreche 16y ago
  None of it is illegal. It's just a violation of the merchant account agreement. The worst that can happen if you complain is that they will lose the ability to accept credit cards at all.
  - jonknee 16y ago
    And also potentially lose a lot of money in fines. They keep your money for a bit until it clears, so your fines come out of that and you don't have the ability not to pay them.
  - heimidal 16y ago
    In many states, including New York, California, Colorado, and a few others, it is actually a crime for them to add a surcharge to a credit card transaction. For example, in New York, levying a surcharge is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, one year in prison, or both.
- jonknee 16y ago
  It's only against the rules to not accept credit cards or charge more for them (like a fee on top of your total if you pay with one). You can discount for cash, which is what you've seen gas stations do. The bar with a $20 minimum is against the rules and I have reported them in the past, along with refusing to pay. These rules were implemented to re-enforce the "everywhere you want to be" mantra. It would get really confusing if every merchant had different rules. The net positive of taking plastic typically outweighs the negative of low dollar transactions, so retailers go with it. Losing the ability to take Visa is a huge knock on a business, so they tend to follow these rules.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
endtime 16y ago
Is that just in NY? Tons of NJ gas stations charge less for cash than for credit/debit.
- imajes 16y ago
  it's a tax thing. Cash income doesn't go reported, and they offer to 'save you the tax'. no fees, no tax, under-the-table income. Happens in a surprisingly large number of establishments.
  - bhousel 16y ago
    This likely has more to do with avoiding the credit card merchant fees than avoiding the tax.
detst 16y ago
It's my understanding that it's not a violation to charge different prices for cash/credit. It's a violation to have a standard price and have a surcharge for credit. So they can have separate "cash" and "credit" prices but they can't have a single price and say "5c more for credit". The obvious reason being that the credit card companies want their piece of the pie but it also protects consumers from hidden signs. I know of one station that has a single price with a "5c more for credit sign" that isn't illuminated and can't be seen at night without looking closely.
oasisbob 16y ago
Regarding card payments, the rules are changing soon because of Dodd-Frank: http://blog.vantagecard.com/post/Merchant-Card-Acceptance-changes-under-the-Dodd-Frank-Act.aspx http://blog.vantagecard.com/post/Merchant-Card-Acceptance-ch... It's also important to differentiate PIN based transactions from signature based. The "accept all cards" rules are the creation of Visa and Mastercard, they aren't inherent in law, and don't apply to (most? any?) PIN-based debit networks. It's generally not against the rules to charge a surcharge on debit transactions.

by Apreche 16y ago

Timothee 16y ago

On your second point, I'd like to ask if that applies to gas stations as well. Because many of them display in big numbers a price that is reserved for cash, while a higher one (~10-15c more a gallon) for credit. Is it illegal? On a related note, I also believe (no link or citation sorry) that there can't be a maximum on the amount you want to pay with credit. For example, car dealerships tend to say they can only accept up to a certain amount to be put on a credit card, even though the agreements with credit card companies say they can't do that.

Apreche 16y ago
None of it is illegal. It's just a violation of the merchant account agreement. The worst that can happen if you complain is that they will lose the ability to accept credit cards at all.
- jonknee 16y ago
  And also potentially lose a lot of money in fines. They keep your money for a bit until it clears, so your fines come out of that and you don't have the ability not to pay them.
- heimidal 16y ago
  In many states, including New York, California, Colorado, and a few others, it is actually a crime for them to add a surcharge to a credit card transaction. For example, in New York, levying a surcharge is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, one year in prison, or both.
jonknee 16y ago
It's only against the rules to not accept credit cards or charge more for them (like a fee on top of your total if you pay with one). You can discount for cash, which is what you've seen gas stations do. The bar with a $20 minimum is against the rules and I have reported them in the past, along with refusing to pay. These rules were implemented to re-enforce the "everywhere you want to be" mantra. It would get really confusing if every merchant had different rules. The net positive of taking plastic typically outweighs the negative of low dollar transactions, so retailers go with it. Losing the ability to take Visa is a huge knock on a business, so they tend to follow these rules.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

endtime 16y ago

Is that just in NY? Tons of NJ gas stations charge less for cash than for credit/debit.

imajes 16y ago
it's a tax thing. Cash income doesn't go reported, and they offer to 'save you the tax'. no fees, no tax, under-the-table income. Happens in a surprisingly large number of establishments.
- bhousel 16y ago
  This likely has more to do with avoiding the credit card merchant fees than avoiding the tax.

detst 16y ago

It's my understanding that it's not a violation to charge different prices for cash/credit. It's a violation to have a standard price and have a surcharge for credit. So they can have separate "cash" and "credit" prices but they can't have a single price and say "5c more for credit". The obvious reason being that the credit card companies want their piece of the pie but it also protects consumers from hidden signs. I know of one station that has a single price with a "5c more for credit sign" that isn't illuminated and can't be seen at night without looking closely.

oasisbob 16y ago

Regarding card payments, the rules are changing soon because of Dodd-Frank: http://blog.vantagecard.com/post/Merchant-Card-Acceptance-changes-under-the-Dodd-Frank-Act.aspx http://blog.vantagecard.com/post/Merchant-Card-Acceptance-ch... It's also important to differentiate PIN based transactions from signature based. The "accept all cards" rules are the creation of Visa and Mastercard, they aren't inherent in law, and don't apply to (most? any?) PIN-based debit networks. It's generally not against the rules to charge a surcharge on debit transactions.