Legal to charge 2.9% for credit card payments?

[brtspears2]

My apartment complex place charges 2.9% for using a credit card to pay... illegal or not?

I recently got hosed on FS/T because I gave a cash discount to be nice, and paypal people pay the normal price.

 

[pulse8]

From what I've heard, it's illegal to specifically charge for those fees, but I don't think it's illegal to include them in the cost of something.

 

[FoBoT]

i think its a violation of the VISA merchant agreement
but i don't think they enforce it

don't know about mastercard or others

 

[Evadman]

it is illegal in the entire country to charge a fee for credit card users unless it is the government ( of course

)

they are breaking the law.

brtspears2: I missed your post, but if you gave a discount to everyone but paypal or c2it, then I do not see a problem. Places do that all the time, where cash ( or MO ) is cheaper than a check or CC's.

 

[vegetation]

Any merchant who makes such a charge can have their processing account revoked immediately. Visa/MC/Disc will not tolerate this at all.

 

[kamiam]

Originally posted by: vegetation
Any merchant who makes such a charge can have their processing account revoked immediately. Visa/MC/Disc will not tolerate this at all.

this is true...I work for VPS, a subsidiary of VISA...we refurbish CC machines, and this was what I was told in a meeting

 

[charrison]

But it is ok to give a 3% cash discount

 

[kamiam]

Originally posted by: charrison
But it is ok to give a 3% cash discount

yup... thats how the gas stations got around charging extra for CC gas purchases

 

[dethman]

Originally posted by: charrison
But it is ok to give a 3% cash discount

haha exactly...

 

[fr]

My school charges a 3% "convienience fee" when I want to use a credit card to pay tuition.

 

[crypticlogin]

I recently got hosed on FS/T because I gave a cash discount to be nice, and paypal people pay the normal price.

Funny, that's not how it was at all...

Your FS/FT thread to refresh your memory

 

[NutBucket]

I know at least one auto garage has a 3% markup on those customers paying with AMEX.