To the customers who become irate and/or rude about debit fees: The simplest solution to your outrage is not to use your debit. I work at a store and hear the same remarks every day, the most prevalent being, “So you’re telling me I have to pay to use my card and spend money here?” Well, that’s actually not what’s happening. Crazy as it is, you don’t have to do anything. You can use cash, credit or utilize your free will and go to any number of stores in the immediate area. You can probably do this without making your cashier miserable, even voice a complaint without being rude. No one is forcing you to use your card and go through with the transaction—you are asked if you would like to accept the fee and it is not hidden, and if you don’t like your options you can buy your cigarettes, pizza, gum, etc. at many other locations. It’s not that hard to get, people. -Burnt Out
This article appears in May 1-7, 2014.
Dear, if you’re burnt out: : The simplest solution to your outrage is not to use work at a store where you’ll hear the same remarks every day, the most prevalent being, “So you’re telling me I have to pay to use my card and spend money here?”
You see, the store is making a profit by charging a “fee” to “recover” their “loss”. In other words, the store is ripping off its customers by over-charging for a simple expense, which is written-off on their tax return.
Of ALL the stores in the world, less than 1% charge a debit terminal fee. Why? Because they realize it’s a cost-of-doing business expense. Further, by offering multiple payment options, they actually INCREASE sales and therefore profits.
Your store has the option of taking our debit cards or losing the sale altogether. Is that the preferred outcome?
Don’t be stupid and fall for the shit your employer is telling you. Educate yourself on basic economics and you won’t end up looking like a jackass, like today.
The most satisfying things for me these days is I don’t have to go and buy cigs, whether cash, debit or credit so I’ll take my money and go elsewhere, thank you very much.
Some people can be first grade cunts.
“Get Over It,” if you aren’t advising customers that there is a debit charge BEFORE they purchase their item with debit, then you deserve all the flak you perceive that you are getting. However, if you do advise them prior and they still behave this way, then they just need to grow up.
Is it that most places don’t charge a fee because they absorb the cost?
Likely not, they jack up all the prices by that fee in the event someone uses their debit card when purchasing. If you use cash, it’s just more profits for them since there’s no fee associated with the transaction.
I suspect this place is attempting to keep costs low…
though that is optimistic and highly unlike me so I guess you should take it with a grain of salt.
http://www.savagechickens.com/images/chick…
Hey Klyde – I go to Amsterdam with my non-(cigarette) smoking money. Wanna’ come?
Interac fees are a common business expense that all businesses should have to pay on their own – not charge customers. It is not that expensive either from what I understand (.006 cents per transaction). Gouging your customers 50 cents to a $1 for each purchase is egregious and outrageous. You’re PROFITING off the interac fees not only covering the cost, surpassing it and making a mint. That pisses people off. Businesses should handle their own operating expenses. Debit is legal tender and very common place in this technologically advanced era. You should be acommodating your customers, not taking advantage of them. I hope your rip-off shop goes bankrupt.
As I’ve already said many times before is that having a debit machine used for business and having associated fees attached is simply CODB, a business can and is allowed to offset that loss at end of year. How a business feels it needs to pass that on to customers is beyond my rationale? For example, if I walk into a store and I see that there is a fee added, whether 25 cent, 50 cent or dollar added, I will decline the transaction myself and go elsewhere. That’s just simple gouging by the store and can they really afford to lose business these days when the economy is suffering and people tighten the purse strings to make their money go farther.
It’s not a hidden fee as Ho!s+ said in prior posts as it prompts you to accept to complete sales transaction.
Hopefully someday our nation will wake up and be more like Amsterdam with sidewalk cafes to sit and puff our favorite herb so we can spend our non-(cigarette) money Meaty, lol.
zZz, you are exactly right, stores that do not charge the fee do not absorb the cost, they add it on to their prices. If they are not charging you, they are not doing so out of the good of their hearts.
The fee’s are business expenses, & business expenses are tax deductible. However credit card expenses are much higher costs, & I am unsure how they reflect on year end tax deductions for a business.
Sorry , hit the post button,
So if the expense is a tax deductible one & they are ALSO charging you a fee, in effect they are double dipping, so why even bother to support them ?
Yeah, well funny how the businesses that charge this ‘fee’ are usually over charging to begin with (convenience stores that jack up prices for the ‘convenience’ for example).
It doesn’t cost 30 or 45 cents, or even a buck per transaction. Like meaty said — it’s a money grab by money grubbing businesses.
I go elsewhere, too, when I know I’m going to get charged the fee. Not because I can’t afford the fee — the fee is nothing to me: it’s the fact that I’d rather not do business with scummy people.
use visa. It is illegal to pass the credit card fee onto the customer in canada. Just use it exactly the same as a debit card NOT overextending yourselves. Have some self control and there is no problem
Brandon , I don’t know if you are complete right about that. I know of businesses that I buy from, who give discount pricing to customers who purchase a large amount of items from them through the year & if you use a credit card , these usual discounted prices return to , first time customer off the street prices.
So in effect passing on higher costs for using a credit card.
In these cases, I don’t have the choice to go elsewhere, after all there is only so many companies selling coils of rated safety rope, wire rope 20 ft lengths of steel & aluminium etc.
I also know of companies who tell you str8 out… you buy on credit …YOU PAY A Higher price.