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Bob4
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join:2012-07-22
New Jersey

Bob4

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[Rant] Gas stations charging extra for credit cards

Exxon station on the way to work was charging $3.66 for cash or credit cards on Monday. On Tuesday, cash was $3.78 and credit was $3.90. So that's a 24c increase in one day.

fruhead
join:2002-01-29
Mosquito,NJ

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fruhead

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Gas prices via Credit Card thread - time to change my oil.

tmpchaos
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Hoboken, NJ

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»www.forbes.com/sites/mic ··· rcharge/
Bob4
Account deleted
join:2012-07-22
New Jersey

Bob4

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I have to find a new gas station. But this station's credit price is still cheaper than the cash price at the Exxon by my house.

jjoshua
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join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ

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Hess charges one price. I use my 5% cash back card there. I pay less than the cash price at other stations.
drslash (banned)
Goya Asma
join:2002-02-18
Marion, IA

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Where I buy gas, I pay 15 cents less than the sign price using a credit card. The sign price is always equal to or less than surrounding stations.

jadinolf
I love you Fred
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join:2005-07-09
Ojai, CA

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Happened to me several years ago -debit card not credit card.

I went to my neighborhood no name gas station.

I came back to the office to get my card back and saw that my receipt showed 90 cents more than the price of the gas I pumped. The gal showed me a sign about the size of a postage stamp.

Never went there again.

MineCoast
Premium Member
join:2004-10-06
Pensacola, FL

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Keep in mind, surcharging is illegal in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.

I'm good then

Mospaw
My socks don't match.

join:2001-01-08
New Braunfels, TX

Mospaw

Slightly OT...
said by MineCoast:

Keep in mind, surcharging is illegal in 10 states: [...] Colorado, [...]

It might be illegal in Colorado, except when you ARE Colorado.

I've never been charged extra at the pump, but when I registered my car last week, I got hit with an "administrative fee" for using a CC to pay for it. I grumbled a bit, but given the amount of the fee, I wasn't about to go to the bank and grab that much cash.

Caddyroger
Premium Member
join:2001-06-11
To the west

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All gas stations adds the cost of the credit card cost to there final price to you. If they want to they just put a sign that say 10 cent cheaper if paid by cash. They are legal then.

MineCoast
Premium Member
join:2004-10-06
Pensacola, FL

MineCoast

Premium Member

Gas is only $3.48ish here now which is below the national average, so even if they do add it in, still low

Caddyroger
Premium Member
join:2001-06-11
To the west

Caddyroger

Premium Member

said by MineCoast:

Gas is only $3.48ish here now which is below the national average, so even if they do add it in, still low

I was saying the cc fees are added in the costs.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

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said by Caddyroger:

All gas stations adds the cost of the credit card cost to there final price to you. If they want to they just put a sign that say 10 cent cheaper if paid by cash. They are legal then.

You're correct. For years the credit card processing fees were just part of the cost of doing business. All businesses adjusted their pricing to compensate for this expense. So even if you paid in cash you were essentially paying for the fee anyway. But now the business model has shifted in this country to separating fees as a means of generating even more revenue. Prices haven't gone down for paying in cash. The credit card processing fee is still built into the prices of goods as a cost of doing business. But businesses have realized that they most people don't realize this so they add an additional amount for credit card transactions effectively charging twice for it if you pay by card.

The airline industry is notorious for this fee method. Airfares used to be all inclusive for the most part. Now there are fees up the ass in addition to the airfare. And the basic airfare price hasn't gone down. It's actually gone up. The wireless industry is also notorious for this. They like to invent new "regulatory" fees as a means of generating more profit. Most people are too dumb, or just don't care, to make a stink about this new business model for pricing so it continues.
Secyurityet
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join:2012-01-07
untied state

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Chevron's notorious for giving you the cash price if you use THEIR credit card...

jadinolf
I love you Fred
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join:2005-07-09
Ojai, CA

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said by MineCoast:

Keep in mind, surcharging is illegal in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.

I'm good then

Interesting because some stations here in Mayberry charge for using a card.

PhoenixAZ
Get A Mac
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join:2004-01-04
Phoenix, AZ

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Report them to Visa/MC, I thought Visa and MC doesn't allow for this type of thing in their merchant agreements.

Xioden
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join:2008-06-10
Monticello, NY

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In New York at least, they can have different prices for cash and credit as long as they are clearly indicated as such and that the customer is about to choose cash or credit on the pump.
Bob4
Account deleted
join:2012-07-22
New Jersey

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Gas stations have done "discount for cash" for decades.

But the rules have changed recently and merchants are allowed to charge extra for credit cards.

hortnut
Huh?
join:2005-09-25
PDX Metro

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My frame of reference right now is Oregon and Washington - Both allow charging less for Cash, as long as it is displayed prominently. Within 2 miles of me, there are 2 Shells and a Union 76 that charge less for Cash. One is at $.10/gallon less for cash.

And under the Kroger/Fred Meyer Fuel Program, one can swipe their Rewards Card and get an additional $.10 off at Shell or a Kroger Station as long as you have 100 points or more. [gain points buying stuff at Kroger branded store or fill your Rx there].

So at the Shell one could get a $.20/gallon discount using Cash and Rewards. I use a Credit Card that gives me a 5% Discount on Fuel as I carry little cash and the pickup usually fills up at $80.00+.

The local Safeway/s have a similar program.

Recently Federal Laws changed some aspects of minimum amounts and other uses of Credit/Debit Cards.

Blogger
Jedi Poster
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join:2012-10-18

1 edit

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I obviously haven't bought gasoline at every service station in California. But I've bought my share in the state I was born in and lived a great deal of my life.

I've never bought gasoline from a station other than a major brand such as Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Union and so on.

The above said I've never seen a station that charged a different price between cash and credit.

I wonder if the phenomena is a regional thing, (even if some CA major stations might do it too), and if it is regional or state determined some how then whats cause of the difference?
Moffetts
join:2005-05-09
San Mateo, CA

Moffetts

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said by Blogger:

I obviously haven't bought gasoline at every service station in California. But I've bought my share in the state I was born in and lived a great deal of my life.

I've never bought gasoline from a station other than a major brand such as Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Union and so on.

The above said I've never seen a station that charged a different price between cash and credit.

I wonder if the phenomena is a regional thing, (even if some CA major stations might do it too), and if it is regional or state determined some how then whats cause of the difference?

I live in the central valley and I travel up and down a lot, and it has been a loooong time since I saw a station that offered the same price for credit and cash. Valero used to be good about this, but no more.

For the record, I paid 4.39 for credit regular today at a cheapo station. Better than 4.59 at the same station last week.

Blogger
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Blogger

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said by Moffetts:

said by Blogger:

I obviously haven't bought gasoline at every service station in California. But I've bought my share in the state I was born in and lived a great deal of my life.

I've never bought gasoline from a station other than a major brand such as Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Union and so on.

The above said I've never seen a station that charged a different price between cash and credit.

I wonder if the phenomena is a regional thing, (even if some CA major stations might do it too), and if it is regional or state determined some how then whats cause of the difference?

I live in the central valley and I travel up and down a lot, and it has been a loooong time since I saw a station that offered the same price for credit and cash. Valero used to be good about this, but no more.

For the record, I paid 4.39 for credit regular today at a cheapo station. Better than 4.59 at the same station last week.

Interesting. Your experience is why I qualified my statement by saying I don't buy gas all over the state. However, I do buy all of my gasoline for many years now in either Los Angeles, Orange, or San Diego County at the majors gas stations. Those three counties constitute roughly half the population of the 58 counties that make op California.

(Didn't earlier on several posters claim it was illegal to charge different prices for credit and cash in California. I'm just referencing the post and poster not taking sides.)

I wonder why it is so prevalent in the central valley but relatively rare if at all in the three major counties I mentioned?

I have no idea what if any regulations apply here in California. I'm just relating my experience.

ilikeme
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join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

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I avoid the stations that do that. Thankfully, there are not many around here that do that.

Boricua
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join:2002-01-26
Sacramuerto

Boricua

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said by ilikeme:

I avoid the stations that do that. Thankfully, there are not many around here that do that.

+1. Valero is notorious for doing that.

@Blogger See Profile, there was posting a long time ago that mentioned as long as the station is giving a discount, then it's not illegal. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

tmpchaos
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Hoboken, NJ

tmpchaos

Numquam oblitus

As I recall, it was permissible by the card issuers' rules to give a discount for cash off the stated price, but not to charge a surcharge over the stated price for CC use.
matthiasrl
join:2011-11-16

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Every gas station have different policy. So, this kind of charging extra for credit card is unavoidable.

Hall
MVM
join:2000-04-28
Germantown, OH

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said by tmpchaos:

As I recall, it was permissible by the card issuers' rules to give a discount for cash off the stated price, but not to charge a surcharge over the stated price for CC use.

That's my understanding as well, in regards to the rules involved with the credit-card companies. You pay the "advertised" rate when using a credit-card, otherwise it's against their rules.

tmpchaos
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Hoboken, NJ

tmpchaos

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That's what may soon change (see my link above).

Boricua
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join:2002-01-26
Sacramuerto

Boricua

Premium Member

said by tmpchaos:

That's what may soon change (see my link above).

Quoting from that article Keep in mind, surcharging is illegal in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.