Hopefully not a new policy that spreads. Just dropped into local specialty butcher shop for a steak (prime filet, maybe this belongs in the "Blow That Dough" thread). Go to check out and there's a nice sign taped on the counter that to encourage customers to pay cash all the prices posted in the store are "cash" discount of 2.99% and if you pay with CC it will be added to the total. The last time I ran into posted prices being "cash discount" was gas stations in GA or SC, although if you looked at the sign closely it did say cash in small print.
What irks me about this is that in time we've gotten to the point where most of us don't carry cash. So few are going to pay for said "discount." Yeah, I know most of us get points or cash back but I think this is just a stealth way of increasing prices. I"m not going back to carrying cash in the amounts to pay for everyday purchases. An indication of the predominance of CC (or DC) is that some stores are trying to do away w cash and then there's a kerfuffle about it being unfair to the poor (who don't have cards). And I know merchants get dinged by the card companies for the service (that then pays for our points).
And, I am being hypocritical because I resented when working for water and sewer dept that the city allowed CC payment of bills. Not a big deal but you had business owners coming in and paying $3000 bills to get points. Any ding to revenue meant an overall increase in rates to balance. I know some government entities charge "convenience fees" for such, have no idea if my former employer does now. They didn't when started because one of the large CC companies had a huge customer service center here; they would have screamed if we did anything against CC's.
Anyway, hopefully this doesn't become some widespread practice to increase the cost to everyone using cards. As for the butcher shop, there's actually a better one only a few miles further.
What irks me about this is that in time we've gotten to the point where most of us don't carry cash. So few are going to pay for said "discount." Yeah, I know most of us get points or cash back but I think this is just a stealth way of increasing prices. I"m not going back to carrying cash in the amounts to pay for everyday purchases. An indication of the predominance of CC (or DC) is that some stores are trying to do away w cash and then there's a kerfuffle about it being unfair to the poor (who don't have cards). And I know merchants get dinged by the card companies for the service (that then pays for our points).
And, I am being hypocritical because I resented when working for water and sewer dept that the city allowed CC payment of bills. Not a big deal but you had business owners coming in and paying $3000 bills to get points. Any ding to revenue meant an overall increase in rates to balance. I know some government entities charge "convenience fees" for such, have no idea if my former employer does now. They didn't when started because one of the large CC companies had a huge customer service center here; they would have screamed if we did anything against CC's.
Anyway, hopefully this doesn't become some widespread practice to increase the cost to everyone using cards. As for the butcher shop, there's actually a better one only a few miles further.