Community Chat

[NYCLatinaMe]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

I was at a chocolate shop some years ago where there was a sign that they would only accept credits  cards for amounts over $5. I don't believe that's legal but I could be mistaken.

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@occasionalrain   I don't know.  I have always seen that in mom and shop businesses, and it makes sense to me, never occurred to me to complain.  I guess very few people would.  Someone else pointed out that it was the credit card companies that required businesses that accepted their cards not to charge a fee for the use of the card, but that apparently has changed.

[NYCLatinaMe]

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@Trailrun23 wrote:

Did you explain that the card was a debit card and not a credit card? There is no risk for the ventor in taking a debit card; the money goes directly to them unlike a credit card.  I was going to get $40 back at the grocery store when I checked out and the cashier told me there is now a $1 charge for each $20 withdrawal. Ridiculous. DH's bank has a $5 teller fee if he goes iside and to a teller window. Even your own money isn't free anymore.

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@Trailrun23   I know what you mean.  I still remember when banks used to pay customers interest for deposits...  Now customers pay insane fees for the privilege of letting banks use our money.  And they are making a lot of money in interest and fees right now.  I think the difference between the interest rate that banks pay customers and what banks collect from customers must be at an all time high.

The rich get richer...

[SaveTheTurtles]

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@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

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@SaveTheTurtles wrote:

This is nothing new. Many small businesses have had to pass the cost of accepting credit cards onto the consumer. I recently discovered that AT&T charges a $5 "convenience fee" for using a credit or debit card on their website for paying your bill. However, if you use your ach information or pay via your banks website there is no added charge. And they are a HUGE company, obviously.

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@SaveTheTurtles  That is odd.  I had AT&T cell service for years and always paid with a credit card.  No surcharge.  December last year switched to T-mobile.  They offered a $5 monthly discount for customers that use electronic checks.  It was in the offer posted in the internet that prompted me to switch.  I have never allowed that, but I bit the bullet and did it. 

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I thought it was odd too but that's what they told me when I asked about it. Just another way to get money outta you. 😡

[rms1954]

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@cindyNC wrote:

@rms1954  We have a lot of Circle K gas stations in our area.  They have an offer where you get a card from them and the amount for the gas is taken directly from your account - you get a lower price for the gas.   And it's 2-step authentication at the pump when you put your card in. 

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We have that at a gas station here.  What my comment was about was the fact that some gas stations are offering a discount if you pay with CASH only.  

[Icegoddess]

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@SaveTheTurtles wrote:

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@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

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@SaveTheTurtles wrote:

This is nothing new. Many small businesses have had to pass the cost of accepting credit cards onto the consumer. I recently discovered that AT&T charges a $5 "convenience fee" for using a credit or debit card on their website for paying your bill. However, if you use your ach information or pay via your banks website there is no added charge. And they are a HUGE company, obviously.

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@SaveTheTurtles  That is odd.  I had AT&T cell service for years and always paid with a credit card.  No surcharge.  December last year switched to T-mobile.  They offered a $5 monthly discount for customers that use electronic checks.  It was in the offer posted in the internet that prompted me to switch.  I have never allowed that, but I bit the bullet and did it. 

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I thought it was odd too but that's what they told me when I asked about it. Just another way to get money outta you. 😡

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Many years ago, I was trying to pay my ATT bill online but something was wrong with the website and it wouldn't let me do it.  This was before they had amy sort of chat option.  So, the only option I had was to call ATT. 

Sure, we can do that for you, but we charge a fee for paying via phone.  I was flabbergasted.  What, is this a choice between paying a fee to pay or paying a late fee because I can't pay online?  She ended up relenting and letting me pay via phone THIS TIME.  

FWIW, I have had the most problem over the years with ATT's website.  At one point, I was having to use a different browser than the one I normally use just to get on their website.  And, I don't use some obscure browser. 

[shoekitty]

Here in California, most small businesses or those who aren't chains have started charging a fee for payment. Even the DMV, medical practices when you pay bills,  even the local hospital.   You can use debit, but not credit card without fee.  We pay most all bills with check. Just habit, and it's such a nice record without having to go online, look up acct scroll through months of purchases for the purchase.  We don't really have a credit card, but we use Amex for most everything else. So far I can pay then online without fee. Even charitable orgs are asking for fees to cover charges.  Also, many businesses have dropped Amex, or charge high fee...because Amex charges the highest fee of all cards and they ar shigella. Tsk tsk tsk. 

[shoekitty]

Some of the fees with small businesses, especially a seamstress are to offset rising costs. Yes they take deductions, but costs have gone up so much, even for them...I guess they can save money and not keep raising prices   If they cut back on leaving business cards, appts cards, reduce bags and tissue, reduce heat and cool a bit and charge for some credit cards they might be able to,save a good amt to help their profit, which isn't that high. Unless you are Dior or Vera Wang. Lol

[I am still oxox]

There is a well known local restaurant in my town that tacks on 4% if you pay by credit cards. This happened to us once last year and we have not gone back

[Tinkrbl44]

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@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

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@deeva wrote:

I always carry cash. Not going back to writing checks, 
Too many ways a check can be compromised. 

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@deeva Cash can be lost or stolen and gone forever, but one can put a stop payment on a lost or stolen check.  Checks are safer.

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@NYCLatinaMe   @deeva 

Checks might make people "feel" safer, but they're really NOT safer.

Personally, I always have a bit of cash in my wallet, but I usually pay with a CC.

If you think you're safe by issuing a stop payment on a check, that's not enough.  You'd need to freeze the whole checking account ... and that's annoying.

Example: 

Somehow, your check #007 in your wallet was stolen. 

You put a Stop Payment on that check. 

Unfortunately, the crooks anticipate that and just change the check number 007 to check 009.  No problem (for them) because there's now NO REASON your bank could reject check # 009.   

They'll pay it and you're out the amount they stole ... or it'll take you ages to get the money back.

There's been a few articles online lately telling people to stop writing checks, but perhaps people just don't understand ALL the ways they can separate you from your money. 

[Tinkrbl44]

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@Pink123 wrote:

That's a very good idea @Icegoddess as its happening to me at alot of places as well lately.

I go to the bank and let's say about get  $500.00 in a mix of 1, 5, 10 and 20 dollar bills in case they don't have change.

As a matter of fact Im down to my last 20 and will go to the bank this week.

I'll bet with Instacart in their their charges some of it is for the credit card comanies too.

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@Pink123 

One of the best tips I got from the State of Califonia was to ALWAYS have some small bills readily accessible .... in case of earthquakes, of course. 

Even if the you have $$$$$ in the bank, if the banks' computer systems go down for days, you can't access your cash.

Same thing for gas stations, grocery stores, etc.   If their internet or computer system are down, only people with CASH will get what they want.   

That's why they call it "emergency cash".