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> Don’t compare it to today’s impossibility of renting a car without a credit card, the growing hostility to cash in Western countries It's interesting, I have

by grecy 7y ago

> Don’t compare it to today’s impossibility of renting a car without a credit card, the growing hostility to cash in Western countries It's interesting, I have no idea what you're talking about. I just rented a car in the UK three days ago without a credit card, and I still use cash for every single purchase except plane tickets online, which is the only reason I even have one. Note, I live in Canada/Australia, spent the whole summer in the US and I'm just visiting the UK.

chrisseaton 7y ago
> I just rented a car in the UK three days ago without a credit card Did they give you a discount for cash? If not, why on earth would you ever throw away the free extra insurance that you get with a credit card?
- lotsofpulp 7y ago
  Not all credit cards offer a rental car insurance benefit. Many credit cards have trimmed all those extra benefits in recent years.
- grecy 7y ago
  Credit cards with fringe benefits like that (and massive points back, etc.) are really an American thing. They're few and far between on the ground in other countries. Also, keep in mind, you're paying for it one way or another. There is no such thing as free.
  - jki275 7y ago
    Someone is paying for it. In this case it's people who keep a balance and pay interest. If you never do that, you're getting those benefits mostly for free.
    - notable_user 7y ago
      Merchants have to pay a decent sized fee on every transaction, and that fee is definitely passed on to the consumer via higher prices. But it’s also (arguably unfairly) equally passed on to consumers paying cash.
      - jki275 7y ago
        That's a fair point as well, although the fee is generally quite small.
  - chrisseaton 7y ago
    > They're few and far between on the ground in other countries This thread is about doing something in the United Kingdom, isn't it? Why are you bringing up America? > Also, keep in mind, you're paying for it one way or another. There is no such thing as free. If the choice is to pay the same amount in cash, or on a card, and you only get the insurance on a card, then for all practical purposes the insurance is free. You cannot pay less if you give up the insurance. There is no extra cost to you to use it.
  - AdamGibbins 7y ago
    That's not entirely true, its written in UK law that you get better protections with a credit card - see Section 75 protection. You'd be pretty foolish to use cash for large expenses due to this.
  - woobar 7y ago
    Correction, you are also paying for my fringe benefits. Very few places offer a cash discount, while CC fees are baked in into all prices.
- atombender 7y ago
  In the UK, as in the rest of Europe, credit cards with benefits such as complimentary insurance (or indeed things like cash back) aren't as common as in the US. I believe Amex is the one of the few companies that include insurance in the UK. With other cards such as Barclays and HSBC, you typically have to pay a monthly credit card fee to add the feature.

by grecy 7y ago

chrisseaton 7y ago

> I just rented a car in the UK three days ago without a credit card Did they give you a discount for cash? If not, why on earth would you ever throw away the free extra insurance that you get with a credit card?

lotsofpulp 7y ago
Not all credit cards offer a rental car insurance benefit. Many credit cards have trimmed all those extra benefits in recent years.
grecy 7y ago
Credit cards with fringe benefits like that (and massive points back, etc.) are really an American thing. They're few and far between on the ground in other countries. Also, keep in mind, you're paying for it one way or another. There is no such thing as free.
- jki275 7y ago
  Someone is paying for it. In this case it's people who keep a balance and pay interest. If you never do that, you're getting those benefits mostly for free.
  - notable_user 7y ago
    Merchants have to pay a decent sized fee on every transaction, and that fee is definitely passed on to the consumer via higher prices. But it’s also (arguably unfairly) equally passed on to consumers paying cash.
    - jki275 7y ago
      That's a fair point as well, although the fee is generally quite small.
- chrisseaton 7y ago
  > They're few and far between on the ground in other countries This thread is about doing something in the United Kingdom, isn't it? Why are you bringing up America? > Also, keep in mind, you're paying for it one way or another. There is no such thing as free. If the choice is to pay the same amount in cash, or on a card, and you only get the insurance on a card, then for all practical purposes the insurance is free. You cannot pay less if you give up the insurance. There is no extra cost to you to use it.
- AdamGibbins 7y ago
  That's not entirely true, its written in UK law that you get better protections with a credit card - see Section 75 protection. You'd be pretty foolish to use cash for large expenses due to this.
- woobar 7y ago
  Correction, you are also paying for my fringe benefits. Very few places offer a cash discount, while CC fees are baked in into all prices.
atombender 7y ago
In the UK, as in the rest of Europe, credit cards with benefits such as complimentary insurance (or indeed things like cash back) aren't as common as in the US. I believe Amex is the one of the few companies that include insurance in the UK. With other cards such as Barclays and HSBC, you typically have to pay a monthly credit card fee to add the feature.