gwalchmai Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Last night we went to a local eatery. The waitperson brought our bill and it listed our meal charge ($27.65), the tax ($1.95) and a "Card charge" of $0.95. I asked the waitperson about it and she explained that it was added to all bills to cover the CC processing fee. I explained that I'd be paying with cash, so it didn't apply. She explained that it was added to all bills irregardless of how they were paid, you know, to cover expenses and make things fair. I asked "So it's an extra dealer incentive then?" She rolled her eyes and replied "I guess". I seem to recall that CC merchant agreements used to prohibit passing such fees to patrons, but maybe that's changed now. In any case, I don't care for the idea. So I said "OK, sweetie, here's $35. You may pay the "card charge" out of the excess or keep it for your tip". Too bad. I used to enjoy their food... 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Yep. Will only get worse if the elites make cash go away. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tous Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 To avoid raising the menu prices, restaurants are adopting the airline's 'fee for everything' approach to try and get more revenue. I suggest that this tactic will fail miserably. Folk don't like being surprised by add-on charges for a fork, a spoon and napkin laundry. Patronage in eateries will plummet. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 Remember, I paid with cash. Charging me the CC fee is like making taxpayers who never took out student loans pay for student loans. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 1 hour ago, tous said: To avoid raising the menu prices, restaurants are adopting the airline's 'fee for everything' approach to try and get more revenue. I suggest that this tactic will fail miserably. Folk don't like being surprised by add-on charges for a fork, a spoon and napkin laundry. Patronage in eateries will plummet. I expect periodic price increases when the restaurant is being pinched by increased costs of raw materials and labor. I don’t like it but I understand. As the original poster said, I don’t like being ambushed after I’ve ordered and eaten. $28.60 plus tax up front tastes much better. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Cicero Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 CC companies may have prohibited passing the charge on to customers as a separate fee, but there are a number of businesses around her that will give you a percentage off the price if you pay cash… which I do at any business offering that incentive. If they don’t offer that incentive, I pay with a CC in order to get my 1-5% back that way. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fog Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 All the little independent restaurants around here give a 3% discount for paying with cash. If you pay with a CC you pay the extra 3%. Heck, it started with food and now everyone is doing it, even the county dump charges 3% to use a CC. Local building supply charges 4.5% if you pay off your balance with a CC. They had builders racking up 90k+ in a month and then paying it off with their CC so they could get points and earn cash back. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 5 minutes ago, Mrs.Cicero said: CC companies may have prohibited passing the charge on to customers as a separate fee, but there are a number of businesses around her that will give you a percentage off the price if you pay cash… which I do at any business offering that incentive. If they don’t offer that incentive, I pay with a CC in order to get my 1-5% back that way. Exactly. Recently had some work done on an old truck. Was presented with an amount due then was asked “Cash or Card?” Said I could pay either way and started digging out Benjamin’s. Saved a bit that way. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 3 hours ago, Fog said: All the little independent restaurants around here give a 3% discount for paying with cash. If you pay with a CC you pay the extra 3%. Heck, it started with food and now everyone is doing it, even the county dump charges 3% to use a CC. Our local "convenience center" charges a buck per 35gal trashbag for household bagged garbage to go into the landfill. A new company just took over and they no longer accept cash. Lots of folks are mad. Last week I went to the shack to pay with my CC and there was a lady there who had just thrown her bag in the dumpster but had no CC. I listened to her arguing with the guy on duty for a while and finally said "Hey, just give me your dollar and I'll put your charge on my CC". I thought she was going to take me out behind the dumpster she was so happy. Folks really get tired of bureaucracy... 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 12 minutes ago, gwalchmai said: Our local "convenience center" charges a buck per 35gal trashbag for household bagged garbage to go into the landfill. A new company just took over and they no longer accept cash. Lots of folks are mad. Last week I went to the shack to pay with my CC and there was a lady there who had just thrown her bag in the dumpster but had no CC. I listened to her arguing with the guy on duty for a while and finally said "Hey, just give me your dollar and I'll put your charge on my CC". I thought she was going to take me out behind the dumpster she was so happy. Folks really get tired of bureaucracy... Years ago at a nearby “convenience center” I was throwing sacks of used cat litter in the bin. Good number of sacks as I was dealing with mine and my daughter’s (who also lives in the county). And had a pickup truck so there was even more being tossed. Attendant said he wasn’t sure what I was doing was allowable, especially such a large quantity. I said the stuff was bought paying local sales tax and I was a county resident paying property taxes, but if putting used cat litter in the dumpsters was not acceptable I could spread it in the county’s roadside ditches. 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostinTexas Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 It's getting common around here for a VAT tax on CC use. Add an extra 3%. Walked away from several transactions over it, and several service companies lost the job over it. I think that would be my last visit to that establishment. They Don't Care. They get you coming and going. Transaction fees for the payee, and outrageous interest for the payer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huaco Kid Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 I ate out today (~$22) and when I got the check I noticed that they added $2 for "tips". I thought, well, if they insist, OK, and zeroed the tip section on the CC receipt. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Huaco Kid said: I ate out today (~$22) and when I got the check I noticed that they added $2 for "tips". I thought, well, if they insist, OK, and zeroed the tip section on the CC receipt. I tip very well, BUT! If I'm told what to tip, or if the tip is added, My contribution goes to zero. I once many years ago had dinner at a very fancy restuarant and left a $30 tip at the table partially under my dish. As we got up to leave the waiter/maître d’hôtel (?) came up to me and told me it's customary to tip after the meal. I thanked him for reminding me and made an overt effort to go back and pick up the money I left there, put it in my pocket in front of him and told him it's customary to be courteous and polite to receive a tip. I left. F'em! It's my money and I want it now! (paraphrased advertisement) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NPTim Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 11 hours ago, gwalchmai said: Remember, I paid with cash. Charging me the CC fee is like making taxpayers who never took out student loans pay for student loans. When you pay property taxes you pay for schools, even if you don’t have children, same thing kind of. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 12, 2022 Author Share Posted October 12, 2022 6 hours ago, NPTim said: When you pay property taxes you pay for schools, even if you don’t have children, same thing kind of. No, after thinking about it I don't think it's the same. The "public good" argument says that raising the overall education level of county residents benefits all the residents. Of course, education does NOT have to be done by the state (DOWN HACKLES! DOWN!). Credit cards are not a public good. This move at our conv center is solely for the benefit of the company contracting the landfill/trash dumping. As a county resident I derive no utility from them not taking cash, even though I understand their not wanting to deal with cash. In fact, this policy adds a financial burden to users by making us take on debt. Besides, "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private". So we have currency printed by the government, at the public's expense, which the government will not accept. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aomagrat Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 A local liquor store puts two prices on their bottles. One for cash and one for credit. At least they're upfront about it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 On 10/11/2022 at 9:46 AM, tous said: To avoid raising the menu prices, restaurants are adopting the airline's 'fee for everything' approach to try and get more revenue. I suggest that this tactic will fail miserably. Folk don't like being surprised by add-on charges for a fork, a spoon and napkin laundry. Patronage in eateries will plummet. I expect periodic price increases when the restaurant is being pinched by increased costs of raw materials and labor. I don’t like it but I understand. As the original poster said, I don’t like being ambushed after I’ve ordered and eaten. $28.60 plus tax up front tastes much better. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeorge Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 On 10/11/2022 at 9:49 AM, gwalchmai said: Last night we went to a local eatery. The waitperson brought our bill and it listed our meal charge ($27.65), the tax ($1.95) and a "Card charge" of $0.95. I asked the waitperson about it and she explained that it was added to all bills to cover the CC processing fee. I explained that I'd be paying with cash, so it didn't apply. She explained that it was added to all bills irregardless of how they were paid, you know, to cover expenses and make things fair. I asked "So it's an extra dealer incentive then?" She rolled her eyes and replied "I guess". I seem to recall that CC merchant agreements used to prohibit passing such fees to patrons, but maybe that's changed now. In any case, I don't care for the idea. So I said "OK, sweetie, here's $35. You may pay the "card charge" out of the excess or keep it for your tip". Too bad. I used to enjoy their food... What no picture of the female waitperson? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 46 minutes ago, aomagrat said: A local liquor store puts two prices on their bottles. One for cash and one for credit. At least they're upfront about it. At one time this was common with gasoline retailers. Even on the big lighted signs. Went away for a while , but is coming back lately with Biden pricing. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 12, 2022 Author Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, geeorge said: What no picture of the female waitperson? No, you really don't want a pic. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 46 minutes ago, gwalchmai said: No, you really don't want a pic. Not all waitstaff is “Hooters Ready”… Which does not affect their ability to deliver impeccable service if they wish. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeorge Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 10 hours ago, gwalchmai said: No, you really don't want a pic. Did she have Teeeff? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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