The whole stunt was planned by Epic well in advance. Offering an outside payment option without lowering the price would have undermined their entire argument.

The whole stunt was planned by Epic well in advance. Offering an outside payment option without lowering the price would have undermined their entire argument. Make no mistake, when the dust settles, consumers will pay the same amount, but Epic will get to keep more of it. There is nothing wrong with Epic wanting to increase its margins, but doing so under the rubric of helping the customer does get under my skin a bit.