Consumerism Commentary - Latest Comments in Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Fenton — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:09:56 -0000

Its the credit card companies that are shafting us all. The gas station is doing the right thing. We should pay less if we are using cash. If we don't make explicit the gouging the credit card companies are doing then we'll continue to line the pockets of an industry that rakes in the cash for doing basically nothing. Personally, I'd like to see a system where we have cash cards...we fill them up and use them with no fees to the merchant or anyone else. The company who sets this up makes a killing on my card balance, as it's literally an interest free loan. They do this in Hong Kong with the Octopus card...and I'm sure that if anyone tried to set this up anywhere else that the banks and credit card companies that live high off the hog on their service fees would quickly get their lobbyist buddies to make it 'illegal' somehow.

Being indignant about paying a higher price for using a credit card is just ignorant about the facts of what is happening...wake up folks! Reality is knocking! There ain't no free lunch!

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Robert — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:51:55 -0000

I went to an Exxon today in Hibernia, just off Rt.80. The cash price for regular was $2.65 as listed on the sign. However the credit card price for regular was $3.19. I was stunned when I realized this. I will never ever go to any Exxon again. I can by a pair of pants from a struggling retailer with a credit card, but a company with bulging profits like Exxon wants more of my money to make their business easier.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Alec — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:28:49 -0000

Yeah this is now happening in Michigan also, I've noticed it at Bp and Mobil. Now here is the kicker, Mobil was charging 10cents more per gallon if you used a credit card, Bp was charging 20CENTS A GALLON MORE if you used a credit card. Now how the $*&# is that legit, I'm sorry its not. Bp go to hell! Something needs to be done about this. Oh and a comment on the signs they put reg cash, reg credit, then premium listed out so it looks like reg-mid-premium, VERY unclear. Just one more way they make the consumer bend over, how will they change the economy if they just charge us more for everything, don't they realize that in doing that we CAN'T buy stuff? Stop bailing out corporations and bail out the consumers, DUH..... am I the only person who sees this? lol? For example: The Big 3. I NEED a car but cant afford one, ironic?

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Robert Obernauer — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:21:51 -0000

Actually I am a natural born citizen (4th generation by the way). I don't want tax breaks from the government-I want capitalism to flourish. I want welfare done away with as well as all of the other government social waste (and I dont want to hear about the 3% of people that get welfare who actually deserve it). And FYI, I've never seen any person at a speedway without a turban on. The beauty of being in a free democratic country is that you can go anywhere you want for gas. By the way, I am the highest volume gas station in the area, and the main reason is that I have a large sign that says "AMERICAN OWNED AND OPERATED". If Americans stopped using credit cards, it would dump TRILLIONS of dollars each year back into our economy. If you look at China, you will see that people there seldom use credit cards, which is why individuals are not in nearly as much trouble in this recession as Americans are.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Archibald Gillespie — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:01:33 -0000

Since you're probably not a natural born citizen, you don't mind the government getting involved to provide you with tax breaks.

Don't worry, you and others charging extra to use credit is not a problem for me as long as I can go to a Speedway, Meijer or other non-credit charging station.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Robert Obernauer — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:25:03 -0000

In my case, my cash price is cheaper than anybody elses credit price, so i cannot speak for others. Visa and Mastercard haven't backed me in a corner, I have backed them in a corner. I am keeping them from getting away with robbing from merchants like myself, by encouraging there customers to put away the cards and pay cash. It IS the customers problem. Consumers are constantly looking to everybody else for solutions, but themselves. With your philosophy, how is General Motots, Chrysler, Bank of America, Citigroup, AIG and others my problem? The answer is that it isn't, but their problems have become our problems--so why shouldn't the high credit card fees I pay not become everybody else's problem? The last thing that I want is for the Government to get involved in my business. Can you imagine Nancy Pelosi and Barach Obama regulating gas stations and merchant fees??? By charging more for credit cards (which I don't deny doing), I, along with many others, are solving a problem for ourselves, without asking the Government for help. How can we ask for a more fair system from the credit card companies if they have a monopoly? They are the ones in control, and the ones who can make a system more fair. As far as profit margin, mine is healthy. I am a millionaire, and I want to make and keep as much money as possible, which is why I live in a capitalist country and society.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Harlan Landes — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:25:02 -0000

In my observations, it's the cash price that is the price competitive with the other stations that do not discriminate. You can call it a "cash discount" if you want, if that keeps Visa and Mastercard from revoking your merchant agreement, but you're not offering a break to those who pay cash, you're charging a premium to those who use credit cards to make up for the high merchant fees. I do feel bad that Visa and Mastercard have backed merchants into a corner... but that's not the customers' problem. Group together and fight the merchants for a fee system you believe is more fair, lobby the government for more oversight, or find a different business with a better profit margin.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

ROBERT OBERNAUER — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:49:16 -0000

Nobody is charging more for credit cards, rather it is a discount for cash. Nothing the credit card companies can do about it. Not even something Obama could do about it. I started this 10 years ago, fought off the credit card companies and the state department of weights and measures and consumer afairs, and I won at every stop. If the credit card companies were fair to the retailers, we wouldnt even have this blog going.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

GloryBee — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:47:17 -0000

I just got off the phone with Discover Card 1-888-DISCOVER (1-888-347-2683) and apparently they don't care if there is a difference in cash vs. credit card prices. At least according to the lady I talked to.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

GloryBee — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:35:13 -0000

I just turned in a gas station just south of New Braunfels, Texas for advertising two different prices. Here is where you complain to MasterCard:
http://www.mastercard.com/u...
(Thank you Matt!) Sadly, they want the full name and address of the offending (and offensive) retailer, so make notes. Check mark the "The merchant/retailer is adding a charge for using your MasterCard card."

OK, guys and gals, where do I complain to Visa Card and Discover Card?

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

NoDeceptiveAdvertising — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:30:46 -0000

This is a deceptive practice at best, and one I ran into for the first time today. The price posted on the board was evidently the cash price, but noted only in very small print. I did not notice the price at the pump was 5 cents higher than was posted on the board until after I had filled up. Only then did I see the additional small wording on the pump that said a 5 cent discount applied to cash transactions only.

I plan to pump exactly 1 gallon of gas from this station a few times a week from now on. Let's see how they like a taste of their own medicine. I can't wait to see if they try to slap minimum charge requirements on to discourage me. I'll take great pleasure in turning them over to Visa/MC at that point.

Be honest and upfront with your pricing merchants! If you are advertising a cash price for your product, make sure the customer can read it before they purchase!

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

TiteWad — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:29:52 -0000

The gas station gets robbed by the bank every swipe of a card by the bank fees banks charge. Believe me some chump with a gun will only get chicken feed compared to what the bank gets from these fees in a month at a gas station.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

TiteWad — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:21:20 -0000

And it cost money to provide the extra service. Pay up for YOUR convenience and let little old cash payer me not pay for YOUR services!

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

PumpMan — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 08:08:40 -0000

Low pay, no benefits, bad working conditions, safety violations..If you don't mind these things then come work at WaWa...It's time to unionize the Gas Associates..Employees need to organize so that WaWa will be required to follow the Law..Help us Organize at WaWa..Have the Teamsters or other unions contact us..thank you

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Archibald Gillespie — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:25:26 -0000

Check out this situation:

I leave a softball game and I'm thirsty and low on gas. I stop at a gas station, I pay at the pump with my credit card, no qualms. I go into the station to buy a drink with my credit card and they say I can't pay for that with a credit card. I left the drink on the counter and walked out as the attendant asked me to put the drink back if I'm not going to buy it :)

So I can spend 30 bucks on gas, but then they don't allow me to buy a drink, poor customer service. Here's my question:

Does it hurt the gas station if I swipe my credit card and pump in $.50 worth or less of gas and then end the transaction. May even do that over a few times over???? If so, this may be a good way to fight back ;) Especially a good way to get back gas stations that charge extra for credit purchases.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Heather — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:56:00 -0000

This makes me so angry because I have a specific credit card just for gas purchases (Discover Open Road) that earns 5% cash back. Now it is pointless! I hope the gas stations get their payback with a huge increase in robberies, since now we all know they're packing major cash :)
How you like them apples???

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

crash — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:12:51 -0000

I use a credit card to purchase gas, simply because 1) its faster to swipe at the pump ( and here in NY, unlike NJ, almost all stations are self serve , so no attendants to handle a cash transaction at the pump; you have to go inside and actually stand in line with the people buying beer and twinkies !!) 2) I have online record of all my gas purchases and 3) since i use the discover card 5% cash back, the cash discount would need to be greater than the 5% im getting back. So far, for the cash/credit prices ive seen, its been exactly 5 % or less.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Lazaro — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:26:36 -0000

Frankly, I am appauld at this new development. If they can legaly do that then they need to fully advertise both prices so that you are not surprised when you get to the pump. A local grocery store in MA does just that. They advertise a price for those who carry their shoppers card and a higher price for those who don't. That is a more ethical way of doing business.

I never carry cash. Everything is about convenience.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

lucky — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:51:09 -0000

most branded stations are forced to have reader pumps by the oil company. The cost to run a card is usualy 2.5 to 3%do the math.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

KLS NJ — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:07:50 -0000

Really, why should the person who pays in cash be charged the extra 7 to 10 cents per gallon that is tacked on to a credit purchase? Why should I the cash customer be paying your credit charges privellage!! This charge is not collected by the oil company. This charge is charged directly to each gas station by the credit card company's. So with all of the gas taxes (Federal and State) you really think the Moma and Papa stations are making a killing. You ought to think twice about that.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Harlan Landes — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:33:45 -0000

More discussion about this topic at this link.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

jj — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:44:20 -0000

Statistically, the working class has always done better with Democratic presidents. Some of the worst years for the northeast were under Reagan which McCain of course wants to return to.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

jj — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:38:35 -0000

There is no labor union in New Jersey that represents gas station attendants. State law requiring this is supposidly for safety reasons.

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

Remav — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:34:50 -0000

Eric,

You don't know how bad it is. In NJ we actually got it on the ballot (after *lots* of hard work) ...but the blue state sheeple are so used to having the government (and now apparently the gas station attendents) take care of them from cradle to grave that they voted it down! I often heard "I wouldn't know how to operate the pump" as an excuse. ...especially from the women. Like government programs, once they were used to having someone else do the work, the cost no longer mattered to them... never mind that they would still have the full service lanes available to them. They screwed the rest of us good and locked us into this unnecessary/unwanted service forever. NJ is a state where the people truly do have the government that they deserve. It's so frusterating to me to pull into a station & have to wait for some slow @$$ed lame third world illegal attendent when I could be in, filled, and gone before they can get the cap loose. What a bunch of LIB losers we have in this state... and you know what? The're going to ensure higher taxes by electing Obama(nation) in Nov. Meanwhile they'll all lament the mass migration of businesses out of here & mass migration of illegal parasites into the state. Their problem is that they compare everything to Utopia instead of Reality. 11 Million people and apparently at least 5.6 Million don't have the brains to:

1) Insert Nozzle in tank
2) Select Grade and payment method
3) Begin Pumping
4) Replace Nozzle
5) Vote Republican or lose the above options

Re: Cash vs. Credit Card: Gas Stations Charging Different Prices

eric — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:38:38 -0000

I think it's funny that a state doesn't even trust its citizens to fill
their own gas tank without mayhem ensuing. Living in Texas and
California for years, I can't even *remember* the last time I
saw a full service station. How can you be trusted to vote
intelligently if you can't even fill up a gas tank?