Fueling up? Carry GREEN?

[reConx]

Gas stations are struggling with gas prices? Some gas stations are posting signs on their pumps: “NO MORE CREDIT CARDS” The gas station managers are realizing the impact that credit cards are affecting their bottom line. The more gasoline sold, the more they lose said the station manager. Gas prices go up and our profits go down. Gas stations are beginning to pass on the higher credit card fees to the consumers. Others have different prices: cash price $3.94 and credit price $3.99 for regular fuel.

[reConx]

Another NEW THREAT with credit cards that is happening is SKIMMERS! Thieves are attaching devices to read cards at gas station pumps or ATMs. Motorists cannot tell that the device is attached to the card reader and encoded information passes from a card's magnetic strip to a computer.
They are considering this action: Identity theft at the pump:eek:

[Woussko]

Here in Maryland some stations are giving a 5 cent / gallon discount for payment with cash. One local chain, FREESTATE is cash only and has always been that way. They use an underground drop vault and keep only limited change in the register. Besides gasoline they sell K-1 kerosene and #2 highway Diesel fuel. They normally are 24/7 too. FREESTATE prices are normally lower than other stations but you don't know what brand they are actually selling.

[Woussko]

Part 2

For safety, many stations now limit credit card sales to $50.00 max. With larger tanks you can't fill up for $50 and have to drive around and come back. It takes them some time to clear out the readers so you can use the same card again. This is where cash pays off, but do guard it and yourself. Never let people see you have lots of greens on you.

[woodenstickers]

Part 2

For safety, many stations now limit credit card sales to $50.00 max. With larger tanks you can't fill up for $50 and have to drive around and come back. It takes them some time to clear out the readers so you can use the same card again. This is where cash pays off, but do guard it and yourself. Never let people see you have lots of greens on you.


They have increased the cut off at most stations in these parts. It used to be $75 to $90. The other day I put in $130 before I stopped, not because of a limit, not because my tank was full, but because I couldn't stomach it!!:eek:

The station closest to my house is $4.85 regular. they haven't had the nerve to put super above $4.99 yet though.


Eli

[woodenstickers]

I started carrying a few hundred in cash for fill ups the last couple of months or so. Here some stations have a cheaper cash price, some only take cash or debit and charge a flat fee too. I always kind of like using my credit card for gas because i get some kind of points for every dollar spent, and I spend a lot of dollars there, but recently I don't care about points.


Eli

[HVAC HAWK]

we have a castco and there gas is $3.87 all other stations are 3.95 to 4.20 for reg

[Masterplumb]

Gas stations are struggling with gas prices? Some gas stations are posting signs on their pumps: “NO MORE CREDIT CARDS” The gas station managers are realizing the impact that credit cards are affecting their bottom line. The more gasoline sold, the more they lose said the station manager. Gas prices go up and our profits go down. Gas stations are beginning to pass on the higher credit card fees to the consumers. Others have different prices: cash price $3.94 and credit price $3.99 for regular fuel.


Hmmm lets see, my van has a 31 gallon tank. If I'm on dead empty it'll cost me $123.69 to pay with a credit card or it'll cost me $122.14 if I pay with cash, so I'll save a whole $1.55 by paying cash. I'd rather put it on my credit card and get miles for it then save a whopping buck and a half.

[reConx]

Hmmm lets see, my van has a 31 gallon tank. If I'm on dead empty it'll cost me $123.69 to pay with a credit card or it'll cost me $122.14 if I pay with cash, so I'll save a whole $1.55 by paying cash. I'd rather put it on my credit card and get miles for it then save a whopping buck and a half.

I would miss the convenience of charging my fuel expenses especially with the current cost of gasoline. Its not convenient to carry $100+ in cash and tap-the-atm 2 or 3 times a week. The difference in price and savings cannot outweigh the convenience of credit cards but a few gas stations in my area are considering a ban on credit cards because of the interchange fees. Their complaints target the interchange fee -- a percentage of the sale price paid to credit card companies on every transaction. The percentage is fixed -- usually around 2 percent -- but the dollar amount of the fee rises with the price of the goods or services. But the majority of gas station managers are hesitant to ban credit cards. They don't want to make buying gas more inconvenient.

On my second post, I wanted to alert others about thieves using technology at the pumps to steal your credit card numbers at the pump in addition to atms.

[mdm]

we have a castco and there gas is $3.87 all other stations are 3.95 to 4.20 for reg

Same here. Costco has been approximately 10-20 cents lower than all the other stations. Even better is if you use your Costco American Express card, you get 3% back. I've more than covered the membership fee in gas savings alone.

[DUNBAR]

Rarely do I carry cash anymore.......it's so much easier to charge it!


Debit cards keep paper to paper the same.


Start mixing cash into a business and now you've got problems with Uncle SAM!


There's no such thing paying "cash" for fuel without screwing yourself on the books.

[reConx]

Same here. Costco has been approximately 10-20 cents lower than all the other stations. Even better is if you use your Costco American Express card, you get 3% back. I've more than covered the membership fee in gas savings alone.
Thats great to have a Costco plus a gas station in your area. I got the Executive membership and the rebate is a nice big rebate if you shop there alot. I have a BJ plus gas station but they are only 5c less.

UPDATE: Quote from AP
"Visa Inc. said it will reduce the transaction fees it charges gasoline retailers, who have complained that their profits are being eroded by them.
The fees are a fixed percentage of every transaction, usually just under 2 percent. So each time gasoline prices go up, so does the dollar amount of the fees, eating away at profit margins.
With gas topping $4 a gallon, that pushes fees toward 10 cents a gallon, close to the typical gas station's markup of 11 or 12 cents per gallon.
The credit-card company said its changes will lower fees by 14 percent on a $60 fill-up, and by 43 percent on a $120 gasoline sale.
Visa also said it would cap its fee for debit-card purchases at 95 cents.
MasterCard last year capped interchange fees for gas purchases of $50 or more".