Are stores who post up signs that say you must buy a certain amount before you can use a CC eg. "minimum purchase required for credit card $20" in violation of mastercard/visa/discover card/american express policies?
VISA/MC wants you to get the following... Amount you were going to buy. Amount they required. Name, address, phone if known. Their "DEPOSIT" bank...
Definitely report it. They deserved to be warned and if they still fail to comply they should no longer be able to accept credit cards.
Almost every New York City deli/convinience has a minimum CC amount before you can use it. Maybe it is not illegal here.
Yep, Im in NY and I've noticed that many small stores put up those signs. The large chain stores don't do that. And I'm not sure if there are exceptions in NY.....
A 7/11 denied me in suburban Chicago last month for a slurpiee. I'm going to turn them in. I diidn't know it was possible. Glad to hear about this.
Was it one of those new slurpies with the soft drink around the side and a the slurpee in the middle - brain freeze?
I work for a company that is set up with Merchant services. There is a fee for every transaction put through the machine...Im sure all merchants vary. For example...we pay 2.17% on each Visa/MC transaction...3.33% on every Amex transaction. But that still doesnt explain why a company would put a minimum on a sale. I think the minimum we can run through the machine is a $1.00.
After searching this is what I found- From Mastercard.com Can a merchant charge me a fee to use my MasterCard card? Can a merchant require a minimum purchase amount to use my MasterCard card? The answer to the first question is almost never; the answer to the second question is not ever. Merchants must follow certain acceptance rules in order to be granted the privilege of accepting MasterCard cards. One of these rules specifically prohibits the practice of surcharging, that is, charging a customer a fee for using a MasterCard card over and above the sale amount. Under very specific conditions, however, a merchant can charge customers - including those using a MasterCard card - a fee in addition to the transaction amount. As a general rule, such a fee doesn't violate the MasterCard rules provided the fee is charged to all customers engaging in the same transaction, regardless of the form of payment. Keep in mind, however, that it is not a violation of the MasterCard rules for a merchant to offer customers a price discount for payment in cash, provided payment by MasterCard card is on at least as favorable terms as payment by any other means. Another MasterCard acceptance rule prohibits merchants that accept MasterCard cards from establishing any minimum amount below which the merchant won't accept payment via MasterCard card. If a merchant displays a decal with the MasterCard logo to indicate that MasterCard cards are accepted, that merchant can not condition a sale based upon the cardholder disclosing any other information or identification, except under very specific conditions, such as when merchant needs to deliver merchandise to the cardholder's home or business. It's not always easy to tell whether a merchant is complying with MasterCard acceptance rules. It's important to MasterCard that you are treated fairly and in accordance with those acceptance rules when you shop using your MasterCard card.
Even though I work for a MULTI BILLION DOLLAR CORP. I am on the consumer side on this...I go to a store and have $1.87 in my pocket...and my CITIBANK PLATINUM SELECT CARD (or what-ever card)...I decide to buy $8.12 worth of merchandise...the cashier say "WE HAVE A $20.00 MIN. CHARGE"...I say that is in VIOLATION of VISA/MC policy (AND IS ILLEGAL IN MANY STATES)...they don't care...So I write down the sale amount I was denied, the min. charge amount, name, address of the business, ask for their phone number, and deposit bank..."What are you doing"~~~I NEED ALL THIS INFORMATION TO NOTIFY VISA/MC OF YOUR VIOLATION... They will be contacting you for the payment of the FINE ($1,000 or more(I think that is right))...additional violations will be TERMINATION OF YOUR CREDIT CARD ACCEPTANCE ACCOUNT. I SURE DON'T BUY UP TO THE $1.87 IN CASH I HAVE...I LEAVE ALL MY "STUFF" AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!
...More...STUDIES HAVE SHOWN FOR A FACT, THAT PEOPLE BUY MORE "STUFF" WITH A CREDIT CARD THAN IF THEY USE CASH... I would NEVER have bought $1.87 of "STUFF" in that store...BUT I WON'T ACCEPT HAVING TO BUY $20.00 OR MORE, EITHER!!!
I stopped by another small store today and saw a sign on the cash register that says "DEBIT $3 min purchase, CREDIT $20 min purchase, all will be charged 5% transaction fee" According to mastercard, the 5% transaction fee here is ok...
I think most consumers do not know that stores cannot set a minimum therefore it goes unreported and the store continues the practice.
large chain stores like Walgreens, Macy's, Target etc. do not even care if you buy a 50 cent candy bar and hand them your CC, they are happy to accept it.
