4 ms·

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, wh

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.
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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

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