How many restaurants charge a fee to use a debit card? « Columbus Underground Messageboard

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How many restaurants charge a fee to use a debit card?

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Started 2 years ago by agtw31
Latest reply from Lakee911

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osulew
My house...in the middle of my street
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Walker, I don't know if it applies to your earlier question, but I know the BMV will tack on 2 or 3 bucks if you use a debit card there. And they don't offer the option of using credit. That's the only time I've ever run into that situation though.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Just asking a simple question, as it seems to be common courtesy to give management/ownership a chance to make it right by you BEFORE heading off to the internet to potentially destroy their livelihood.

The manager/owner would have given you the best answer, might have simply waived the fee and made you aware of it for next time. Or maybe it's a complete goof and you caught it. Instead you are seeking answers, for which no one will have an answer to for this specific place-except it's management/ownership.

Then you could have come back here, posted your experience and their response. Then we could have had a decent discussion on the merits, legalities and business ethics of such a practice. Instead we get one side of a measly .50 cent issue that has already cost them 2 customers.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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osulew wrote >>
Walker, I don't know if it applies to your earlier question, but I know the BMV will tack on 2 or 3 bucks if you use a debit card there. And they don't offer the option of using credit. That's the only time I've ever run into that situation though.

The one downtown I had to use an ATM in the office, forced to take out more than I needed. PITA

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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lifeontwowheels wrote >>

Or are you just going to berate the server and trash a place online over something that probably could have been answered on the spot pretty quickly?

Seemed like a factual account of his experiance and feelings.
Youse got a problem wit dat?

Think that's fair to them if the management or ownership has no knowledge of your issue?

I'm pretty sure that they know they are charging the 50 cents.
And they should have a pretty good idea what the customer reaction might be.

Why are you harrassing him?

The manager/owner would have given you the best answer, might have simply waived the fee and made you aware of it for next time.

So he would treat and bill different customers differently?
Well, that would take it off my list.

a measly .50 cent issue that has already cost them 2 customers.

Three, but only you seem to be counting

you must have a HUGE list!

Good thing the list of places to eat is even HUGER

Posted 2 years ago #
lisathewaitress
SoHud
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while it might be "only 50 cents," i do agree totally that it should have been disclosed. there should be a sign there so that the poor waitress doesn't have to be the go-between.

there are lots of costs of doing business. they should all be built into the price you pay, unless you are getting a service which is out of ordinary - say, delivery, installation, etc.

Or the business should not accept credit cards.

This is the same rub I have about restaurants who have a wine list with prices on it, and then charge a corking fee. Some of my favorite restaurants do this, but I think if the list is presented to you at the table (thereby meaning the ordinary process is ordering the wine at the table), those are the prices you pay. If the price is on the bottle, indicating the normal process is you are purchasing the wine to go, then a corking fee is okay, because you are using their space.

Posted 2 years ago #
futureman
Grandview Heights
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Back at my previous job we tried enact credit card surcharges, but after doing some research we opted against it.

Having minimums price per purchase for using a credit card or passing along any surcharges to the customer is a direct violation of the Visa and Mastercard merchant agreements. You are to report the vendor to the respective credit card company and they could have their merchant account revoked.

Ran across this link too -
http://consumerist.com/2008/07/more-on-minimum-purchases-surcharges-and-other-credit-card-merchant-agreement-violations-from-the-co.html

Now, I actually haven't heard of anyone getting their accounts revoked though.

Posted 2 years ago #
jarsloth
west side
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We were just at the Hey Hey this weekend and when I opened the tab, Pat the bartender kindly informed us that there was $1.00 fee added on to all credit card transactions. We would have preferred to pay in cash (if we had it on us), but it was nice to know up front. I did notice throughout the evening that he made this disclosure to everyone who opened a tab using a credit card.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Tenzo wrote >>

lifeontwowheels wrote >>
Or are you just going to berate the server and trash a place online over something that probably could have been answered on the spot pretty quickly?

Seemed like a factual account of his experiance and feelings.
Youse got a problem wit dat?

Think that's fair to them if the management or ownership has no knowledge of your issue?

I'm pretty sure that they know they are charging the 50 cents.
And they should have a pretty good idea what the customer reaction might be.
Why are you harrassing him?

The manager/owner would have given you the best answer, might have simply waived the fee and made you aware of it for next time.

So he would treat and bill different customers differently?
Well, that would take it off my list.

a measly .50 cent issue that has already cost them 2 customers.

Three, but only you seem to be counting

Whatever. I just think, whenever you have an issue with any establishment, it's the right thing to give that business an opportunity to respond and make things right.

Posted 2 years ago #
KSquared
Literally Hell
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jarsloth wrote >>
We were just at the Hey Hey this weekend and when I opened the tab, Pat the bartender kindly informed us that there was $1.00 fee added on to all credit card transactions. We would have preferred to pay in cash (if we had it on us), but it was nice to know up front. I did notice throughout the evening that he made this disclosure to everyone who opened a tab using a credit card.

Pat rocks. I think they've been doing that for a while and they are great about disclosing it. Now I want sauerkraut balls. :)

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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Tenzo wrote >>
Good thing the list of places to eat is even HUGER

I would think that the list of
places that pass the cost of doing business on to their customers

would be larger, or you'd see most places bankrupt fairly quickly.

Posted 2 years ago #
swan
London
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the liquor store on 5th and 4th charges $1.50 fee for paying with plastic.

although, thanks to the newly created liquor store in the brewers yard kroger, I no longer have to deal with the fee... or the feeling that I may be mugged at any time during my friendly sojourn.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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yeah, the liquor store next to Ravari Room and sage makes you use their ATM which charges a fee every use.

Posted 2 years ago #
osulew
My house...in the middle of my street
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swan wrote >>
the liquor store on 5th and 4th charges $1.50 fee for paying with plastic.
although, thanks to the newly created liquor store in the brewers yard kroger, I no longer have to deal with the fee... or the feeling that I may be mugged at any time during my friendly sojourn.

Ah! I forgot about that one. It adds another element of adventure to that store that it really doesn't need.

Posted 2 years ago #
manticore33
Delaware, OH
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I quit carrying cash on me because I really do not know how much I will spend. I love the flexibility to spend more if I chose without having to leave the restaurant. I liked the food at this establishment, but we did cut down on the food purchased when we found out they charged for debit/credit. I take issues with all surcharges. Build it into your price, do not tell me one price and then tack on extras! More often or not, I will walk!

Posted 2 years ago #
futureman
Grandview Heights
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lifeliberty wrote >>
yeah, the liquor store next to Ravari Room and sage makes you use their ATM which charges a fee every use.

Not sure, but for some reason I thought it was a state law that you can't use credit card to buy hard liquor, unless you are buying it in a grocery store (state licenced of course).

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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I don't know. I like ala carte pricing. it keeps costs down by me not having to pay for things if choose not to. whereas with the combo you end up paying for stuff you don't need and it is wasteful.

Posted 2 years ago #
DavidF
Elysium Fields
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I think the real issue is that the fee wasn't disclosed up front. I would have been upset by that too.

Last time I was in Hey Hey, Pat made sure we know about the fee as soon as we ordered. I'm sympathetic to businesses having to eat those charges and if they want to charge a fee for the card, or give a discount for cash, that's their prerogative. As long as they let you know in advance.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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futureman wrote >>

lifeliberty wrote >>
yeah, the liquor store next to Ravari Room and sage makes you use their ATM which charges a fee every use.

Not sure, but for some reason I thought it was a state law that you can't use credit card to buy hard liquor, unless you are buying it in a grocery store (state licenced of course).

i think you are correct. i always take cash so i don't have to pay the ATM fees. Weiland's takes CC I'm pretty sure, I think that was the first place I ever used a CC to buy liquor if memory serves correctly.

Posted 2 years ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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futureman wrote >>

lifeliberty wrote >>
yeah, the liquor store next to Ravari Room and sage makes you use their ATM which charges a fee every use.

Not sure, but for some reason I thought it was a state law that you can't use credit card to buy hard liquor, unless you are buying it in a grocery store (state licenced of course).

I think it's up to the individual agency/store to determine how they handle credit transactions. I know the Liquor Store near Westland takes credit, but the one up on Henderson near that huge TJ Maxx only accepts cash. And yeah, you can buy all the liquor you want @ Kroger on your card.

Posted 2 years ago #
misskitty
Columbus
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This is from the Visa Merchant Agreement

Acceptance of Card Transactions

1.1 The following requirements apply to all Card transactions: (a) you cannot establish minimum or maximum amounts as a condition for accepting a Card; (b) you cannot impose a surcharge or fee for accepting a Card; (c) you cannot establish any special conditions for accepting a Card; (d) you cannot establish procedures that discourage, favor or discriminate against the use of any particular Card; however, you may choose not to accept either U.S. issued Debit Cards or U.S. issued credit Cards under the terms described in Section 1.3; (e) you cannot require the Cardholder to supply any personal information (e.g., home or business phone number; home or business address; or driver's license number) unless instructed by us, except for a mail order/telephone order or delivery required transaction, and ZIP code for a Card-present key-entered transaction in order to obtain an Address Verification (AVS); (f) Any tax required to be collected must be included in the total transaction amount and not collected in cash; (g) you cannot submit any transaction representing the refinance or transfer of an existing Cardholder obligation deemed uncollectible; (h) you cannot submit a transaction or sale that has been previously charged back; (i) you must deliver at least one copy of the Sales Draft or credit draft to the Cardholder; (j) you cannot submit a transaction or sale to cover a dishonored check. Failure to comply with any of the Association Rules may result in fines or penalties.

Posted 2 years ago #