Merchants have to take plastic for any purchase amount.

**randeman** · Jan 29, 12, 2:49 am

Seems like every so often here in New York I run into a merchant that refuses to accept my credit/debit card unless I spend x amount of dollars. This is against the terms made by Visa and Mastercard with the merchants. Yesterday, I found a place on the MC website to file a complaint. I filed two.

Has anyone ever filed a similar complaint? If so, what were the results?

**jeffysdad** · Jan 29, 12, 5:41 pm

I believe the Card Act might have changed this, preventing the card companies from insisting on minimum transaction amounts, but I could be mistaken.

In the past, pre-Card Act, I did complain about this a couple times. Nothing happened.

**Money card** · Jan 29, 12, 7:36 pm

what I would do is respect there rights that they don't want to pay a transaction fee. so if your going into a pizza/italian restaurant and and the bill is about $7.00 maybe 7.23 etc I would just pay cash. if your going to a store like Club Monoco and purchasing 50.00 item and they're refusing your card I can understand how you feel. I just use these places as an example

If it's a local merchant they have a right to set limits, for example I have a fieldhouse a local pizza/italian restaurant for credit card purchases they set a limit of 25 dollars which I highly agree on. I think it would be great if fast food restaurants like chickfille, Burger king, subway, wendy's , kentucky fried chicken Mcdonalds had a 4 person limit or 25 dollar limit on credit cards.

like I said if it's a inexpensive purchase I would just pay cash, but if it's a very expensive purchase I would look for a similar place and then just go there.

**Capital** · Jan 29, 12, 10:49 pm

I have reported several merchants in the past, particularly those who charge a fee, usually $0.25, for using a credit card for a purchase of less than $5. MC and VISA have never responded directly to the complaints. The Durbin Amendment allows for merchants to set a minimum $10 limit on purchases where the method of payment is a credit card (not debit card).

**Money card** · Jan 30, 12, 7:33 pm

hey if you are paying for something that's $5 what's wrong with cash?

**randeman** · Feb 6, 12, 4:47 pm

Originally Posted by Money card

what I would do is respect there rights that they don't want to pay a transaction fee. so if your going into a pizza/italian restaurant and and the bill is about $7.00 maybe 7.23 etc I would just pay cash. if your going to a store like Club Monoco and purchasing 50.00 item and they're refusing your card I can understand how you feel. I just use these places as an example

If it's a local merchant they have a right to set limits, for example I have a fieldhouse a local pizza/italian restaurant for credit card purchases they set a limit of 25 dollars which I highly agree on. I think it would be great if fast food restaurants like chickfille, Burger king, subway, wendy's , kentucky fried chicken Mcdonalds had a 4 person limit or 25 dollar limit on credit cards.

like I said if it's a inexpensive purchase I would just pay cash, but if it's a very expensive purchase I would look for a similar place and then just go there.

Because their contract with Visa/Mastercard says they have to accept the card for any amount. If the Durbin Ammendment allows merchants to set a minimum dollar purchase to use credit cards, so be it. Otherwise, they have to follow the contract stipulations.

**Celestine** · Feb 6, 12, 9:49 pm

My two cents... just pay cash for small purchases. No need to make a big deal out of it. They are also businesses who needs to profit to stay alive. And with rising costs today, of course it is understandable that they will set a minimum for purchases to use credit cards.

Try putting yourself in their shoes, And let me know what you think.

I'll make an analogy or state an example for you based on "following the law". Do you really use your turn signal when you want to change lanes or follow speed limits? I bet you don't all the time. Same thing with those "laws" that you mentioned.

**jeffysdad** · Feb 7, 12, 5:36 am

Some merchants are incredibly short-sighted on this issue.

Several years ago I bought a $1,200 vacuum cleaner from a local shop. Besides supporting a local business, I wanted to buy this expensive thing from a place where I would receive personal attention and advice. The merchant cheerfully accepted my credit card.

A couple years later I returned to this store to buy a $10 brush and was rudely asked to pay with cash by the same merchant. Just before I approached the counter this same guy had been bowing and scraping before a customer buying a $20 box of vacuum cleaner bags, and his cc was accepted.

I paid for the brush with cash and left.

I buy vac bags for my kilobuck vacuum on Amazon.com. They also sell accessories to fit the machine. If I need to buy another machine, I'll order it online and pay with a credit card, and quite possibly get it cheaper, with free delivery and no sales tax.

I've lost a great deal of sympathy for small, local businesses over the years. Rude/incompetent/careless service is the overall issue, and silly policies regarding credit cards are only part of that, as far as I'm concerned.

**FutureBillionaire** · Feb 7, 12, 1:31 pm

Jeffysdad, that was a great post. I want service and value, period. I do sometimes go to the store because I want folks to stay employed. I won't put up with bad service though. Amazon is awesome and gets my business because they are competively priced, tax free, and always on time.

**Moneytalks** · Feb 7, 12, 3:39 pm

Amazon all the way! They 99.5% of the time have the best prices, good customer service, take all CC, AND rarely have an issue, and if i do, they replace/ exchange or refund where it is due. Can't beat virtual retailers...

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