New Gas Station on 50/Old Drug Store

Anyone viisted our newest gas station yet? I see they have a cash price and a credit price for their gas- I won't be getting gas there for that reason.

 

so,,

 

May I ask why that is where your line is drawn?

Many stations have different prices for cash/credit. Credit card companies charge a fee and some stations, rather than raise the price for those paying cash as well as credit, only charges the fee for credit customers.

 

I thought there was a law against that, much like putting a minimum purchase on a credit card. A violation of the terms between the credit card company and the vendor...? All I know is that I worked at a gas station for almost 20 years, and I know we were not allowed to do that. One can offer a "discount", however, or try to package what they're selling by calling it something different I suppose, and get away with it it. Like Ebay sellers who sell something ridiculously cheap but rip the buyer off with postage fees, to avoid paying Ebay their percentage of the sale of the item. :?

 

I have no idea about any law. I do know that, back in the 70's when gas prices started going crazy, this was one thing gas stations did to try and attract customers ("gas wars" no longer worked as all gas was pretty much the same price from the source).

I also do a lot of driving and see gas stations all along the freeways advertising different prices for cash and credit.

 

and I do see a many places that require min. purchase price to use debit/credit cards and or an extra fee is charged.

 

I'm just sayin a new station wanting to get new business would not start off selling their gas higher than everybody else near them or jack it up for paying with a debit/credit card(not just credit cards). You can if you want but i'm not. They make up for the price of debit/credit purchases charged by banks by what they sell inside-

 

The Supreme Court ruling has made things like this more of a possibility. A lot of the credit card companies used to be able to force companies to charge the same rates, but it is no longer legal to do so in most states.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/17/business/la-fi-swipe-fee-goldstone-20120718

From the article:

Imposing credit card surcharges is trickier. For one thing, the practice is banned in 10 states including California, although the Golden State makes an exception for gas stations.

 

Ok.. well we're seeing a lil bigger picture here now,, you didn't originally say anything about being higher priced, just difference of price w/ cash or credit.

 

They're not "jacking up" the price of gas for credit card customers as much as they are giving a discount for cash customers.

For those gas stations that don't offer a price difference, they are actually splitting the fee the credit card company charges to both cash and credit purchases.

You can ask yourself, if you're paying cash, why should you also pay part of the fee to offset the people who pay by credit?

 

Let us not forget that credit cards allow the CONVENIENCE of paying at the pump. Owners have to have fewer staff to man registers. It also prevents drive offs because the owner gets their money up front. Let us not villian-ize credit cards so quickly, because they obviously became quite ubiquitous for a reason. Gas stations didn't have to equip all of their pumps with card readers.

 

I am basically the National Rental Car car "who has time to wait for a receipt" guy and I refuse to use a gas station that will not take the credit card. I am willing to pay more for the service.

That said , I absolutely approve of giving folks a cash break. A benefit of doing this (and offsetting the need for a clerk) is that it forces the customer to go into the store and possibly buy some of their other wares.

 

where are you all getting your gas? I haven't seen stations charging more for credit cards or giving cash discounts for 20 years, last one I seen was a Mobil station.

Same price cash or credit is the norm around the country.

 

The post was about the new station/store at ODS and 50, so I assume that's where they're getting their gas.
Yes, it's the norm, but folks can run their business anyway they choose. I think it's a good option for those who want to save a little, plus for the stores, it get's folks inside and they don't have to pay CC processing fees.
Velero's on 70 in Clayton was doing this, and may still be, so it's certainly NOT unheard of these days.

 

It doesn't prevent drive offs much anymore. I don't know of any gas station you can pull up flip the handle pump and then walk in and pay. It's a pay first then pump cash or credit.

 

Down in the West Palm Beach area of FL alot of the gas stations do the cash price.

 

"Selling their gas higher than everybody else near them"? The price I saw for this station, even for credit, was still a few cents lower than Don Lee's or Lowe's.

 

What most don't realize is that they also charge the fee for those that use Debit cards which is the same as cash. I don't want to carry hundreds of dollars in cash on me everywhere I go. I have to fill my tank more than once a week and I don't want to spend the extra time of having to walk inside somewhere, wait on line, then wait for the cashier to do some computer stuff to enable my pump and then walk back. I don't have that extra time when I am getting gas on my way to work or coming home.

For that reason I will never get gas at any place that charges different prices for cash and debit/credit.

 

I saw the sign today and I won't be going b/c I rarely have $60-$70 in cash on me. The debit card is always easier.

 

I think it's funny that some are refusing to visit this gas station because they give the option of cheaper gas to those that pay with cash. If they just set one price (the higher "credit" price), and charged that price whether you used credit or cash, nobody would bat an eyelash. But since they give an OPTION of a cheaper price for those paying with cash, they're suddenly evil. To each his own, but it boggles the mind...