I go into Popeye’s (the chicken place) to get some food, and I notice a sign at the register. It is in two parts.
The top says that there is a 39-cent service fee on all transactions “except in states where this is illegal.”
The bottom says that there is a “convenience reward” for paying with cash, check, or credit card: 39 cents is deducted from the final cost. However, it explicitly says that debit cards are not eligible.
Translation: it costs 39 cents more for you to use a debit card, but “don’t call it a debit card fee,” presumably as it is probably illegal to charge one in a number of states.
Debit card transaction fees can be more expensive than credit card transaction fees for smaller amounts.
The fee is usually a small fixed amount plus a percentage. The tradeoff is usually a smaller percentage fee for debit transactions but a larger fixed fee. It depends on the card itself, the bank, and such, of course, so YMMV.
But yeah, the 39 cent debit fee is bad. It’s fast food, not a bloody math lesson.
For small transactions, I avoid plastic. Cash is faster and easier. I take the same amount out of the ATM every week which makes it easy to reconcile my checking account when I get my statement.
And how do people who put $2 coffee tabs on their charge bills ensure that they’re not being overcharged? I imagine by the end of the month their charge statement is several pages long.
I tend to use plastic when I buy something over, say $200. Otherwise, it’s not worth the hassle.
The new law allows merchants to pass credit card fees on to customers, but not debit card fees.
So, they’re adding a fee to all transaction and then removing it when they pay with a non-debit card.
They’re probably also charging a fee when someone uses a credit card, but not announcing it or refunding it (eta: after researching, it seems you have to post this if you do it, so not sure).
I think the pitting is because of the split in the way they call out the charge. In some states it is a fee, in others where the surcharge is illegal, they call it a deduction for cash, check or credit card.
I disagree. Plastic has gotten way faster than cash in my experience. At my cafeteria, the daily swipe of my amex takes less than 10 seconds, whereas these geniuses who want to go through their wallets and fish out the exact change can take over a minute each.
Very interesting. Maybe they just really, really dislike debit cards.
It’s also possible that they have a dim view of their customers - particularly, the socioeconomic group that is likely to purchase things with a debit card.
Don’t the vast majority of debit cards have the credit option? I don’t remember the last time I saw one without a visa or Mastercard logo. Just choose the credit option at the register, problem solved.
If I was standing in line at Popeye’s, and the person in front of me actually pulled out a checkbook to pay for her meal, I’d kick her right in the ass.
