I heard several years back that if a store took a charge card they must take it for all amounts. yet I was just shopping at a store and they made me spend over five dollars to use my card. I don't know where to find data on this but would like to file a complaint to have them alter their policy. any ideas?
2007-08-03 06:29:08 · 13 answers · asked by amy-marie r 3 in Business & Finance ➔ Credit
I understand the store gets charged a fee but it is like 10 cents, it is for convenience of customer service. i charge everything and have a 840 credit score because I pay it off. not that I need to justify myself but when I charge get points worth about 400 dollars a year so I like to keep track of my funds and earn points too.
2007-08-03 07:39:26 · update #1
does anyone have data other than it has happened to them so they assume it is legal?
2007-08-03 07:40:42 · update #2
Visa, MC and Amex policies say that a merchant cannot require ID for a sale/transaction if the card has a valid signature on the back.
A merchant cannot set a minimum or maximum charge, add fees or surcharges when a credit card is used.
If you paid a fee on your credit card, contact your creditor and the backer of the card (Visa, MC or Amex) and file a complaint. Also request a charge back for the fee you paid.
Charging fees or surcharges when a credit card is used IS ILLEGAL in many states.
If you want to pursue it, you might contact your AG to find out if it is legal or illegal in your state. If it is illegal, you can file a complaint with the AG.
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A partial list of states that have laws which makes it illegal to charge fees/surcharges when making purchases with a credit card:
CA, CO, CT, FL, KS, MA, ME, NY, OK, TX
For "one" example - the Florida statute concerning fees/surcharges:
501.0117 Credit cards; transactions in which seller or lessor prohibited from imposing surcharge; penalty.--
(1) A seller or lessor in a sales or lease transaction may not impose a surcharge on the buyer or lessee for electing to use a credit card in lieu of payment by cash, check, or similar means, if the seller or lessor accepts payment by credit card. A surcharge is any additional amount imposed at the time of a sale or lease transaction by the seller or lessor that increases the charge to the buyer or lessee for the privilege of using a credit card to make payment...............
(2) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
2007-08-03 16:15:45 · answer #1 · answered by echo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's not illegal but is can be a pain. The reason some places do that is because they get charged a certain amount by the credit companies to use the cards so if you buy something and charge it but the total purchase is less than what they pay then they are losing money and we all know how any corporation feels about that. I used to work at a place that told us, the team members, to not charge stuff ourselves unless we bought a certain amount. I think they said it cost them 25 cents each time they ran a credit card, in fact the prefered us to use rechargable giftcards instead.
2007-08-03 06:41:11 · answer #2 · answered by Todd S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This has happened to me several times. I think they do that because they get charged a certain amount by the credit card companies for purchases under $5 where as it is a flat percentage over $5. The school that I go to charges me a $50-$60 fee if I pay my tuition on a credit card. I am sure that it is legal because so many places do it. I hate it though because I never carry cash.
2007-08-03 06:36:21 · answer #3 · answered by Brad H 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's absolutely legal for store to require a minimum charge on credit card. Store must pay the interchange fee to credit card company. If you charged under certain amount, store won't make any money.
Don't bother report to credit card company. They will refer you back to the store. Credit card company doesn't make this policy, the store does. Some store wouldn't accept Amex because of the interchange fee. It's the store's prerogative.
When I got my ticket, the DMV charged me addition $8- $10 for processing credit card. If I used check then it would be free. If I knew this, I would carrry my check book. I saw the guy in court has his check book with him. Obviously he got in trouble so many times for speeding.
2007-08-03 06:59:47 · answer #4 · answered by Summer 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Stores do this because they would lose money on the transaction without the minimum. I don't understand people charging small amounts on a credit card.
The store might be violating their contract with the credit card company but reporting it to the credit card company really won't get you anything.
2007-08-03 06:47:02 · answer #5 · answered by bdancer222 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
5 Dollars Or Less Store
2016-12-26 14:31:47 · answer #6 · answered by copper 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Believe me I share your irritation! But I have no idea where you get the idea that business owners want cash vs credit cards for tax purposes. Please check the facts next time before you rant! I helped my boss set up an account to accept credit cards. The credit card companies charge the business owner 1.5 to 4% of the total sale for the convenience of having their customers pay with credit cards! I DO BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL! In my opinion - as much interest as the CC companies siphon off us as customers, it is wrong to charge business owners on top of that!
2016-04-01 16:11:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not illegal, but in most cases it is against the policy of VISA and Mastercard to allow a merchant to do this.
You can file a complaint. But a more effective thing to do is to just let the store know that you won't be shopping there anymore because of that policy.
2007-08-03 07:09:06 · answer #8 · answered by OC1999 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ok, here is the REAL DEAL on the $5.00 limit.
As far as the law goes, YES, it's legal.
As far as American Express, Visa, Discover, and Mastercard are concerned? It's a violation of their contract for the merchant not to accept them on small amounts.
When you sign a contract with them, you state that you will accept a card for ANY amount...and if a customer reports you for it, they will pull your ability to take that card and cancel your contract.
That's what was in the contract that I signed for my business.
2007-08-03 22:45:35 · answer #9 · answered by Expert8675309 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunetly it is legal. Alot of places have this you must spend such and such to use a debit card. i even saaw a starbucks once with it! It has to do with the price that the company has to pay to use their credit card machine. sorry, that sucks
2007-08-03 06:37:07 · answer #10 · answered by Brittany M 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋