What Really Grinds My Gears: Gas Stations That Have "Cash" Prices

[s0me0nesmind1]

You know what really grinds my gears ATOT? Gas stations that list "cash prices" on their billboards. As if anyone can read the term "cash" from a far distance, let alone the $0.10 difference is an obvious ploy to be a difference between regular and mid-grade and for you to not notice because your assumption is you always fill up with regular, hence you have the cheapest of 3 types of gasoline (Regular, Midgrade, and Premium). Whatever the case, I know the places to avoid, I've never been screwed aside from pulling into a place and having to go to a different place - but I'm damn sure plenty of others have been screwed plenty. Especially if they do stuff like pay with a debit card. Honestly, I haven't carried the amount of cash to fill up my car in years. I keep a $10 in the glove box in case of an emergency (empty tank or something).

Most of the stores around me that do it simply say "Credit $x.xx Cash $x.xx"... First off, what the fuck is debit? Last I checked, a debit card would constitute as cash, but apparently not!





Example, but not quite on par with what I see. Where I live it's much more deceptive. Much smaller writing.

 

[mmntech]

Must be an American thing because I've never seen this. You do pay more here if you want full service, but those stations are very rare nowadays.

 

[highland145]

Someone gets to pay the fee for using credit/debit. The card companies charge the retailer.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Isin't it illegal to charge more for credit card transactions?

 

[poofyhairguy]

Credit cards cost money to process. Giving a cash discount on a low margin item makes sense.

I think the only reason we don't see it more often is most merchant agreements won't let you do it.

 

[Black Octagon]

They charge a surcharge for card payments because using the card machine incurs a fee on their end. Big woop. It's like that in many countries. Where I live they just the card price for everything in order to cover their costs.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Must be an American thing because I've never seen this. You do pay more here if you want full service, but those stations are very rare nowadays.

It's simply gas stations that are getting butt-hurt over paying the 1-3% bank fees that come with the convenience of credit cards.

Don't want to pay fees? Don't deal with the banks. But trying to do this cash bullshit on the side along with deceptive marketing is grounds for a class action lawsuit.

They charge a surcharge for card payments because using the card machine incurs a fee on their end. Big woop. It's like that in many countries. Where I live they just the card price for everything in order to cover their costs.

That is incorrect, because the gas station across the street will charge lower while allowing credit card payments. It boils down to deceptive marketing. I have seen Shell Gas Stations do it too where they advertise a gas price and then put (With Shell Gas card)... Who the fuck has a shell gas card? DERP. It's deceptive marketing for you to pull into the lot and forget about the price before deciding to fill up your car like most Americans do.

 

[Black Octagon]

Isin't it illegal to charge more for credit card transactions?

They're charging LESS for cash transactions

 

[Black Octagon]

trying to do this cash bullshit on the side along with deceptive marketing is grounds for a class action lawsuit.

What grounds, precisely?

 

[KLin]

Isin't it illegal to charge more for credit card transactions?

As long as they post both the credit price and cash price, they're fine.

 

[highland145]

Don't want to pay fees? Don't deal with the banks.

LOL

They might as well close shop now.

 

[Brainonska511]

Isin't it illegal to charge more for credit card transactions?

No, it's not illegal. It would probably violate the card-vendor agreement. However, cash discounts do not violate that agreement. And various laws can modify the contracts, such that terms demanding no minimum charges or increased costs for credit transactions don't apply.

 

[Black Octagon]

That is incorrect, because the gas station across the street will charge lower while allowing credit card payments. It boils down to deceptive marketing. I have seen Shell Gas Stations do it too where they advertise a gas price and then put (With Shell Gas card)... Who the fuck has a shell gas card? DERP. It's deceptive marketing for you to pull into the lot and forget about the price before deciding to fill up your car like most Americans do.

That station across the street chooses to lower its prices so as to compete. Gas stations routinely sell gas at a loss because their real profit comes from selling you the other junk you buy when you fill up. The gas price is set solely to get you inside

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

What grounds, precisely?

deceptive marketing. Again, I see it much more prevelent in my area at much more deceptive levels than the one I posted so maybe someone else can chime in.

But when you see something to the tune of

Regular $x.xx
Regular $x.xx (Credit) <--- This is where you expect to see Mid-Grade
Premium $x.xx
Diesel $x.xx

You are in your car and looking at small text from a distance. Also, debit also constitutes as "credit" - even though it is NO WHERE near that meaning in the business world.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

LOL

They might as well close shop now.

You would be surprised detective Sherlock.

Riddle me this, American Express aside - What bank does Costco Gas deal with? How big are their lines?

 

[highland145]

You would be surprised detective Sherlock.

Riddle me this, American Express aside - What bank does Costco Gas deal with? How big are their lines?

I have no idea but I do know that there isn't a costco on every corner. The nearest to me is 30 minutes.

 

[highland145]

We are moving to a cashless society. The consumer will pay the fee one way or another.

 

[OutHouse]

Debit counts as cash

 

[Red Squirrel]

They're charging LESS for cash transactions

Hmm true guess that's a loophole then lol. You can't really prove what their "normal" price is either so I can see how they can get away with it.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Debit counts as cash

I tried using my debit to test this the other day when I pulled into one of these stations again by accident and was given the "credit" price. Maybe it was just that station? But I'm under the principle that if you try using debit it give you the credit price as well.

In my eyes, debit counts as cash - but not to the gas stations. More the reason why this is deceptive to me.

 

[SparkyJJO]

It's simply gas stations that are getting butt-hurt over paying the 1-3% bank fees that come with the convenience of credit cards.

Don't want to pay fees? Don't deal with the banks. But trying to do this cash bullshit on the side along with deceptive marketing is grounds for a class action lawsuit.

Litigious much?

 

[OutHouse]

I tried using my debit to test this the other day when I pulled into one of these stations again by accident and was given the "credit" price. Maybe it was just that station? But I'm under the principle that if you try using debit it give you the credit price as well.

In my eyes, debit counts as cash - but not to the gas stations. More the reason why this is deceptive to me.

I only use my debit card and always get cash price.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

We are moving to a cashless society. The consumer will pay the fee one way or another.

The sooner we fully move to it the sooner we can get off the 2-3% and move more closer to a reasonable <1% fee IMO.

but shit like this along with retarded immigrants hoarding cash in their mattresses is what keeps cash still alive

 

[Lifted]

I guess the laws regarding displaying credit/debit charges, if there are any, vary by state. In NY and CT I either see "debit cards will be charged at the credit card price", in which case there is no "debit" option on the display, or there will be both debit and credit options on the display, and the debit option will prompt for your PIN and you pay the cash price.

Basically if it prompts for your PIN a debit card is given cash price, otherwise treated as a credit card. Most stations in NYC don't give the debit/PIN option, so I just wait until I'm outside of the city too fill up.

 

[waffleironhead]

That sign you posted is about as clear cut as anything I've ever seen. The only crime going on is your crime against humanity for being so stupid.