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A fee for using my debit card??

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ A fee for using my debit card??
RedRider1's avatar

RedRider1

Senior Member

3,850 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:01 PM
I got charged a $.50 fee at a gas station last night for using a debit card because my total transaction was under $10.00.

I've seen places offer discounts if paying with cash, but never an extra charge when paying with plastic.

Anyone ever experience something similar?
Jan 31, 2012 4:01pm
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

Senior Member

8,651 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:03 PM
I know of a couple of farm related places that charge a transaction fee if you use a credit card. I don't think they are allowed to do that.
Jan 31, 2012 4:03pm
stroups's avatar

stroups

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3,223 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:03 PM
A lot of bars make you have a $10 minimum on tabs. My understanding is that the business gets charged a small fee for each transaction so they don't want people swiping their cards multiple times for small transactions.
Jan 31, 2012 4:03pm
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:04 PM
RedRider1;1071523 wrote:I got charged a $.50 fee at a gas station last night for using a debit card because my total transaction was under $10.00.

I've seen places offer discounts if paying with cash, but never an extra charge when paying with plastic.

Anyone ever experience something similar?
Oh yeah. I have seen many places charge extra for suing a credit/debit card if you dont purchase a certain amount. Most times I have seen it say anything under 5 bucks you get a fee...OR the min purchase has to be 5 or 10 bucks.

That business has to pay a fee each time a transaction is ran through, and many times even a percentage of the total as well. So if you buy something for like 3 bucks they are just protecting the profit.
Jan 31, 2012 4:04pm
THE4RINGZ's avatar

THE4RINGZ

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Jan 31, 2012 4:05 PM
RedRider1;1071523 wrote:I got charged a $.50 fee at a gas station last night for using a debit card because my total transaction was under $10.00.

I've seen places offer discounts if paying with cash, but never an extra charge when paying with plastic.

Anyone ever experience something similar?

Yes when I made a $4.00 purchase at Bert's Marathon.
Jan 31, 2012 4:05pm
THE4RINGZ's avatar

THE4RINGZ

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16,816 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:05 PM
stroups;1071527 wrote:A lot of bars make you have a $10 minimum on tabs. My understanding is that the business gets charged a small fee for each transaction so they don't want people swiping their cards multiple times for small transactions.

Who spends less than $10 at a bar?
Jan 31, 2012 4:05pm
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:07 PM
As far as charges affiliated with using a DC/CC......some of those who have a good rewards program even charge the business even more per transaction.

We went through this a couple of years ago with our current and previous bank for transactions. It really sucks but the cost of doing business.
Jan 31, 2012 4:07pm
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

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8,651 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:07 PM
THE4RINGZ;1071530 wrote:Who spends less than $10 at a bar?
chicks
Jan 31, 2012 4:07pm
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:08 PM
THE4RINGZ;1071530 wrote:Who spends less than $10 at a bar?
I think he was meaning that they recommend a customer start a tab for his drinks and run it through when you are done instead of using every time each drink was purchased.
Jan 31, 2012 4:08pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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29,506 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:14 PM
THE4RINGZ;1071530 wrote:Who spends less than $10 at a bar?
I never open a tab at a crowded city bar, because it takes ages to close the tab at the end of the night. So, I often have amounts less than 10$. Of course, if there is a fee, I start a tab...but thats what they are trying to avoid. Credit Card usage has a fee on it for businesses. Its becoming pretty normal for everything to charge a fee for a small purchase to make it worthwhile.
Jan 31, 2012 4:14pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

A USA American

14,946 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:32 PM
nothing new. infact this seems to be less common now than in the past.
Jan 31, 2012 4:32pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

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Jan 31, 2012 4:37 PM
RedRider1;1071523 wrote:I got charged a $.50 fee at a gas station last night for using a debit card because my total transaction was under $10.00.

I've seen places offer discounts if paying with cash, but never an extra charge when paying with plastic.

Anyone ever experience something similar?
Find out who charged you the fee. From the bank or (most likely) from the gas station.
I think you may be able to dispute it. Confident the merchant is not allowed to charge you an extra fee like that.
Jan 31, 2012 4:37pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

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Jan 31, 2012 4:38 PM
stroups;1071527 wrote:A lot of bars make you have a $10 minimum on tabs. My understanding is that the business gets charged a small fee for each transaction so they don't want people swiping their cards multiple times for small transactions.
They do but it's in the merchant contract they can not pass the fee on to the customer.
Jan 31, 2012 4:38pm
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:41 PM
said_aouita;1071551 wrote:Find out who charged you the fee. From the bank or (most likely) from the gas station.
I think you may be able to dispute it. Confident the merchant is allowed to charge you an extra fee like that.
He does have a small point there. SOME banks charge if you run something through as a debit card as opposed to a credit card.
Jan 31, 2012 4:41pm
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thavoice

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14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 4:45 PM
said_aouita;1071553 wrote:They do but it's in the merchant contract they can not pass the fee on to the customer.
I think that disclaimer is to make sure businesses dont add that fee onto every purchase you make. That is put in place so a vendor doesnt charge a customer like $102 dollar on a $100 item if he uses a CC/DC.

To my knowledge, adding a small fee on a purchase made under a certain amount is ok.
Jan 31, 2012 4:45pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

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Jan 31, 2012 4:50 PM
thavoice;1071556 wrote:He does have a small point there. SOME banks charge if you run something through as a debit card as opposed to a credit card.
What I'm wondering. If some fee because a debit card from the bank? If a fee from the gas station because of being under $10.00, dispute it. In fact, the merchant can get in trouble and the processor may drop him.
Jan 31, 2012 4:50pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

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Jan 31, 2012 4:54 PM
thavoice;1071561 wrote: To my knowledge, adding a small fee on a purchase made under a certain amount is ok.
Maybe things have changed. Visa/Mastercard charges whats known as "non-qual fee's" most common for hand keying a card in (not swiping) and I know merchants could not pass those fees onto the customer. Merchants do pay a percentage for the ability to accept credit cards.
Merchants were not allowed to those fees onto the customer.
Jan 31, 2012 4:54pm
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 5:02 PM
said_aouita;1071565 wrote:Maybe things have changed. Visa/Mastercard charges whats known as "non-qual fee's" most common for hand keying a card in (not swiping) and I know merchants could not pass those fees onto the customer. Merchants do pay a percentage for the ability to accept credit cards.
Merchants were not allowed to those fees onto the customer.
Just been doing some research and I think you are right that they cannot put these fees onto customers. They can say there is a min fee that must be charged....now being 10 bucks.
Jan 31, 2012 5:02pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

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Jan 31, 2012 5:09 PM
thavoice;1071572 wrote:Just been doing some research and I think you are right that they cannot put these fees onto customers.
Have you ever dared question your wife, when she gives you the answer?
Jan 31, 2012 5:09pm
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thavoice

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14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 5:14 PM
said_aouita;1071576 wrote:Have you ever dared question your wife, when she gives you the answer?
I will just say this...IF I ever do ask my wife a question on something i do know the correct answer is the opposite of what she would say.
Jan 31, 2012 5:14pm
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 31, 2012 5:19 PM
said_aouita;1071576 wrote:Have you ever dared question your wife, when she gives you the answer?
Do you think that mega corporations like McDonalds negotiate their own deals with the CC processing places? They will allow ya to charge 90 cents if ya want.

Either they do get a better rate due to their enormous numbers they rack in, or that they feel the little less profit they make is well made up in the convenience and sheer numbers they run through?
Jan 31, 2012 5:19pm
said_aouita's avatar

said_aouita

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Jan 31, 2012 5:30 PM
thavoice;1071583 wrote:Do you think that mega corporations like McDonalds negotiate their own deals with the CC processing places? They will allow ya to charge 90 cents if ya want.

I know how the super large companies work for Discover Card. They have a fortune 500 group, which do get to negotiate fees and Discover is much more willing to "eat" some costs.
Walt Disney and Discover Card back in the day were in a big time disagreement. Came down to Disney saying "ok, we just won't accept Discover." and Discover Business Services had to eat it. Something similar with Carnival Cruise Lines.
If the company is large enough (Fortune 500 usually) Discover will work with ya.

Simply- Discover is more of a business friendly card, while Visa/Mastercard is more friendly to the consumer.
Visa/Mastercard screws merchants with those non-qual fees.
imo- If I was opening a small business, starting off I'd only accept Discover Card and Amex. Last I knew you could still actually process by hand (remember the old knuckle buster swipers, back in the 80's?) for free.

I worked in the training department for Discover Business Services, up in New Albany. The St Paris to New Albany commute was a blast in the winter
Jan 31, 2012 5:30pm
ts1227's avatar

ts1227

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12,319 posts
Jan 31, 2012 6:01 PM
By rule, most places are NOT allowed to charge a fee like that if they read their contract with whoever their credit card scanner is through.

It is weird though, because most of them word it so that if you do it is a discount for using cash as opposed to a credit card fee, it's fine.
Jan 31, 2012 6:01pm
RedRider1's avatar

RedRider1

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3,850 posts
Jan 31, 2012 7:09 PM
THE4RINGZ;1071529 wrote:Yes when I made a $4.00 purchase at Bert's Marathon.

Ya don't say? ;)
Jan 31, 2012 7:09pm
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bigorangebuck22

Senior Member

186 posts
Feb 1, 2012 5:10 AM
Cash... works every time... and no fees or minimums
Feb 1, 2012 5:10am