Gas Prices
- Thread starter Tom Hendricks
- Start date
I'm surprised that not many people here have experienced this fee thing.
I don't generally see it at major stores, but our local (Maintenance) garage still does it for credit cards and a few of the stalls at the local computer market used to (though it's been a while since I've been so that may have changed).
I'm surprised that not many people here have experienced this fee thing.
I don't generally see it at major stores
I haven't seen this at any retail stores, just many gas stations. I wonder why gas stations consider themselves entitled to do this.
Are they chain gas stores?
(The ones I see mostly are so probably make enough profit not to worry about it - though some will reject certain cards because of a higher percentage charge by the card company)
The single ones may not have the profit margin. If it is chain stores, they probably just want to pass all the charges on to the customer.
(The ones I see mostly are so probably make enough profit not to worry about it - though some will reject certain cards because of a higher percentage charge by the card company)
The single ones may not have the profit margin. If it is chain stores, they probably just want to pass all the charges on to the customer.
95% of the time, I go to exxon, amoco and shell. I don't think the brand matters, because they are individually owned.
In this area, it's all of the ARCO stations (British Petroleum) that add this fee for using plastic. And, I should add that they add a flat fee for it of $0.50 per transaction.
$3.139 cash or debit at my preferred (read: cheapest) local station this morning. I don't do the grocery loyalty card thing, that place is always too busy for how few pumps they have. And I don't shop at Stop & Shop anyway. :P
Gas stations here (CT) generally have one cash price and one credit/debit price. I favor the Citgo station because they allow debit cards to get the cash price. I am given to understand that gas stations prefer cash because they don't have to wait for it to clear the bank, and they need cash on hand to purchase the fuel from their supplier.
As for minimum charges on credit, that's mainly small, primarily-cash businesses that do that around here. For my own small business, we don't have a minimum. We use Square and they charge us 2.75% of our swipes, which we find reasonable. Paypal would be a similar percentage plus 30 cents flat.
Gas stations here (CT) generally have one cash price and one credit/debit price. I favor the Citgo station because they allow debit cards to get the cash price. I am given to understand that gas stations prefer cash because they don't have to wait for it to clear the bank, and they need cash on hand to purchase the fuel from their supplier.
As for minimum charges on credit, that's mainly small, primarily-cash businesses that do that around here. For my own small business, we don't have a minimum. We use Square and they charge us 2.75% of our swipes, which we find reasonable. Paypal would be a similar percentage plus 30 cents flat.
I'm also expecting the gas prices to go up after the Midterms. Still, the prices are the cheapest they've been in years, so hopefully they won't climb too high.
I have nothing to back this up, except that I feel I am more vigilant now, but it seems there is a greater discrepency between prices now. Using Gas Buddy there is a $0.20 price difference between the lowest (which is a Sam's Club station) and the highest, which is a Chevron (and that's the cash price). The Chevron and one other station have cash prices on the list (but they don't show the cost for using a card).
I'm not an expert on gas stations, but I believe that even the major stations are independently owned. So even if they are a national chain, it's the individual owners who decide how to process credit and if they charge more for credit cards.
I have nothing to back this up, except that I feel I am more vigilant now, but it seems there is a greater discrepency between prices now. Using Gas Buddy there is a $0.20 price difference between the lowest (which is a Sam's Club station) and the highest, which is a Chevron (and that's the cash price). The Chevron and one other station have cash prices on the list (but they don't show the cost for using a card).
I'm not an expert on gas stations, but I believe that even the major stations are independently owned. So even if they are a national chain, it's the individual owners who decide how to process credit and if they charge more for credit cards.
In NJ, the lowest I have seen near me is about $2.70 per gallon
I thought it was illegal for merchants to charge more for using credit cards vs. cash?
Growing up in Jersey, you get so use to someone else pumping your gas. When I moved to Long Island about 7 years ago, it was a culture shock to have to pump your own gas. When I visited friends and family in Jersey, I would often try to coordinate filling my vehicle, so I could get that cheap Jersey gas.
Yeah, whenever I go to PA or NY I hate pumping my own gas haha. 
^ I was always curious about that. Whenever I visit my relatives in NJ I can't help but thinking, don't you ever want to pump your own gas? But I suppose if you're used to the status quo, that's fine. 
No, I don't want to UNLESS I desperately need gas and the gas stations are all closed. It's in those times when I wish I could. They all lock out and you can't pump it even if you wanted to.
In all other times, I am glad I don't need to pump it only because whenever I do pump it my hands reek like gas.
In all other times, I am glad I don't need to pump it only because whenever I do pump it my hands reek like gas.
So in NJ, where you have to let them pump for you, do you have to just show up when the pumps are in normal business hours? What if you're there at like 2 AM and they're all closed? Are you SOL?
Yeah, whenever I go to PA or NY I hate pumping my own gas haha.
I've been driving since 1977 and I don't recall ever using a full service station. They all seemed to have changed to self serve right about that time.
On most major highways where I live there are 24-hour stations. Some even not on highways.
If you are in the sticks and there are no 24-hour service stations then yeah you're pretty much SOL.
I had to call AAA once because I ran out of gas and they only give you 5 gallons. I thought I might not even have enough after they gave it to me to even make it to a station.
Yeah, whenever I go to PA or NY I hate pumping my own gas haha.
I've been driving since 1977 and I don't recall ever using a full service station. They all seemed to have changed to self serve right about that time.
They're self-service in all US states except New Jersey and Oregon.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/20...you_cant_pump_your_own_gas_in_new_jersey.html