Comments on: If You Don’t Want To Use Credit Cards… http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/ A place to discuss money...for the rest of us. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:09:30 -0500 hourly 1 By: David http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32268 David Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:03:45 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32268 I have used a CC for a car purchase and didnt have any problems. As for local merchants, it's not so much I mind that they do charge it, as they are tiny little businesses. It's just a little annoying, but not sure I would go and call every time I see that sign, which is in every store around here. :-) I have used a CC for a car purchase and didnt have any problems. As for local merchants, it’s not so much I mind that they do charge it, as they are tiny little businesses. It’s just a little annoying, but not sure I would go and call every time I see that sign, which is in every store around here. :-)

]]> By: MITBeta @ Don't Feed The Alligators http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32265 MITBeta @ Don't Feed The Alligators Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:06:13 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32265 David: The only way the credit card companies can enforce this policy is if people let them know that merchants are violating it. Adding to what Hickepedia and BW said, mercharts are also not allowed to cap the amount of the purchase that can be put on a card. Many car dealerships, for example, will try to impose a limit at say, $10,000. The next time I buy a car from a dealership I will use my rewards card and then pay off the balance as soon as I get the bill. David:

The only way the credit card companies can enforce this policy is if people let them know that merchants are violating it.

Adding to what Hickepedia and BW said, mercharts are also not allowed to cap the amount of the purchase that can be put on a card. Many car dealerships, for example, will try to impose a limit at say, $10,000. The next time I buy a car from a dealership I will use my rewards card and then pay off the balance as soon as I get the bill.

]]> By: david http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32261 david Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:23:12 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32261 Sure, only cost me $5K to move here, so no problem! Sure, only cost me $5K to move here, so no problem!

]]> By: david http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32260 david Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:22:32 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32260 Thanks for showing that to me - not sure how to stop every single store in a town from doing it, as I am not going to call Visa every time I go shopping. :-) I would think Visa and MC would enforce this themselves, but I guess I thought wrong. Thanks for pointing it out! Thanks for showing that to me – not sure how to stop every single store in a town from doing it, as I am not going to call Visa every time I go shopping. :-) I would think Visa and MC would enforce this themselves, but I guess I thought wrong. Thanks for pointing it out!

]]> By: BW http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32259 BW Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:02:13 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32259 david- stores are not allowed to charge fees or have minimums to use a credit/debit card (I know this is true for MC and Visa). I have on occasion called out places for doing this and gotten my way but they are obviously unhappy with me. I completely understand why stores do this, but my thought is don't put the sticker on the door if you're not going to really accept cards as you agreed to in your contract. http://usa.visa.com/about_visa/ask_visa/index.html under minimum purchase david-

stores are not allowed to charge fees or have minimums to use a credit/debit card (I know this is true for MC and Visa). I have on occasion called out places for doing this and gotten my way but they are obviously unhappy with me. I completely understand why stores do this, but my thought is don’t put the sticker on the door if you’re not going to really accept cards as you agreed to in your contract.

http://usa.visa.com/about_visa/ask_visa/index.html under minimum purchase

]]> By: Jerry http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32258 Jerry Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:50:00 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32258 There are places overseas where CCs are not as prevalent, too. Right now I live in SE Europe, and it leads to a big cut in credit card usage. It's a cash economy here, although there is no insurance it will stay that way forever. The CC companies are pushing like crazy to get into the public image here, and I think it will work. Alas... Jerry There are places overseas where CCs are not as prevalent, too. Right now I live in SE Europe, and it leads to a big cut in credit card usage. It’s a cash economy here, although there is no insurance it will stay that way forever. The CC companies are pushing like crazy to get into the public image here, and I think it will work. Alas…
Jerry

]]> By: david http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32250 david Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:45:25 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32250 I doubt there is a law against it, I even saw it in some places in Los Angeles too... I doubt there is a law against it, I even saw it in some places in Los Angeles too…

]]> By: Hickepedia http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32239 Hickepedia Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:13:47 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32239 "Many of the businesses here do not take credit cards, and if they do, they charge you a $.75-$1.00 fee each time you want to use your card." Um...isn't this counter to the merchant agreement that the business signed with the credit card company in the first place? I don't object to the concept of the business recovering the cost of the merchant fee charged by the credit card processor, but I know that both Visa and Mastercard have standard contracts that forbid the merchant levying an additional fee on the consumer for using a credit card. Being the rabble-rouser that I am, I'd start complaining to the card companies if I found merchants doing that. “Many of the businesses here do not take credit cards, and if they do, they charge you a $.75-$1.00 fee each time you want to use your card.”

Um…isn’t this counter to the merchant agreement that the business signed with the credit card company in the first place? I don’t object to the concept of the business recovering the cost of the merchant fee charged by the credit card processor, but I know that both Visa and Mastercard have standard contracts that forbid the merchant levying an additional fee on the consumer for using a credit card.

Being the rabble-rouser that I am, I’d start complaining to the card companies if I found merchants doing that.

]]> By: Stephanie PTY http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32236 Stephanie PTY Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:45:30 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32236 Do the local shops readily take $1 coins without giving you a hassle? (I know they're supposed to take them, but some stores just don't have the slot in their drawer for them!) If so, you could order rolls of $1 coins from the US Mint (free shipping!) with your credit card, get your credit card rewards that way, and then spend the $1 coins around town. Not a bad way to get the coins into circulation (which is exactly why the Mint lets you do it!), and not a bad way to "use" your credit card around town. :) Do the local shops readily take $1 coins without giving you a hassle? (I know they’re supposed to take them, but some stores just don’t have the slot in their drawer for them!) If so, you could order rolls of $1 coins from the US Mint (free shipping!) with your credit card, get your credit card rewards that way, and then spend the $1 coins around town. Not a bad way to get the coins into circulation (which is exactly why the Mint lets you do it!), and not a bad way to “use” your credit card around town. :)

]]> By: Baker @ ManVsDebt http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/03/26/if-you-dont-want-to-use-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-32235 Baker @ ManVsDebt Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:30:28 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1978#comment-32235 I live in Indiana and have seen this at a lot of small businesses in our smaller communities. Before I had made pointed my financial life this used to make me really angry. Not I kind of like it, it seems nostalgic and refreshing! Funny how one's perspective can change on issues like this. I live in Indiana and have seen this at a lot of small businesses in our smaller communities. Before I had made pointed my financial life this used to make me really angry. Not I kind of like it, it seems nostalgic and refreshing! Funny how one’s perspective can change on issues like this.

]]>