2 ms·

3% at restaurants is offset by 3% fee to use cards at restaurants. this benefit is evaporating. not an argument for or against cards, but they are becoming cl

• lxgr 5mo ago
  Of course somebody is paying your 3%; there's no free lunch. To a large extent it's yourself (via interchange paid as part of the merchant's fees); part of it is however also other people paying cash and often not receiving a discount for doing so. Regardless of all that, at the individual level, not using a credit card is still irrational. Not quite the tragedy of the commons, but it's pretty close. The only way out is probably outright regulating the entire thing away, like the EU has successfully done; the market seems too inefficient and consumer behavior too sticky for card-specific surcharges (i.e. "you pay for your own points") alone to solve this.
  • basch 5mo ago
    It’s just a 3% surcharge at restaurants now. Maybe you haven’t experienced it in your area but most non chain restaurants have it by me.