Restaurants that don't take credit/debit cards?

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
The kids wanted to go to CiCi's Pizza (all you can eat pizza buffet for under $5 per person).

Went to pay, the cashier said, "Sorry, we don't take credit cards." WTF? "You can use the ATM machine over there," and she points to a ripoff machine near the entrance. If the kids weren't already over getting their pizzas I would have walked out. $1.50 to the machine, and $2.50 to my bank = $4.00 cost to me because they don't take cards.

Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway.
 

sinucus

Senior member
Feb 3, 2004
266
0
0
Well, you can blame the CC companies that require a transaction fee of the business. Yes, that's just the "cost of doing business" but it's really extortion if you ask me. They make more than enough off the people who carry a balance every month. I hate it when people don't accept CC's but I know why they don't.
 

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
1
0
Originally posted by: DurocShark
The kids wanted to go to CiCi's Pizza (all you can eat pizza buffet for under $5 per person).

Went to pay, the cashier said, "Sorry, we don't take credit cards." WTF? "You can use the ATM machine over there," and she points to a ripoff machine near the entrance. If the kids weren't already over getting their pizzas I would have walked out. $1.50 to the machine, and $2.50 to my bank = $4.00 cost to me because they don't take cards.

Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway.

Sounds like quite a rip off to me. Did the store display any VISA or MASTERCARD logos anywhere. Is so, they MUST accept any card with those logos. There's a Cicis 10 minutes from me, but I've never been there.

How is their pizza BTW?
 
L

Lola

i know a lot of "older" restaurants do not take them because they are old fashioned and the fact that it does cost money to take a CC.
However, i would think that people would want to keep up with the times and take credit cards.
also, they might own the ATM as well and thats just another way to make more money from their patrons.
 

ShOcKwAvE827

Senior member
Jul 28, 2001
950
0
0
I assume you don't go eat at Chinese restaurants much. Those places rarely take credit cards it seems.
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
I don't mind it if a place doesn't take credit cards as long as they are a certain type of place. Basically, any place where you order at the counter. A pizza buffet does not seem appropriate as one that doesn't take credit cards.
 

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Originally posted by: DurocShark
The kids wanted to go to CiCi's Pizza (all you can eat pizza buffet for under $5 per person).

Went to pay, the cashier said, "Sorry, we don't take credit cards." WTF? "You can use the ATM machine over there," and she points to a ripoff machine near the entrance. If the kids weren't already over getting their pizzas I would have walked out. $1.50 to the machine, and $2.50 to my bank = $4.00 cost to me because they don't take cards.

Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway.

Sounds like quite a rip off to me. Did the store display any VISA or MASTERCARD logos anywhere. Is so, they MUST accept any card with those logos. There's a Cicis 10 minutes from me, but I've never been there.

How is their pizza BTW?

See bolded section.

And I don't think there's any Visa/MC logos. I didn't look because it just didn't occur to me that a restaurant wouldn't take 'em.

They take checks though. :confused:
 

Heisenberg

Lifer
Dec 21, 2001
10,621
1
0
Yeah, there are a few places around here that don't take cards - mostly smaller mom & pop type places.
 

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
1
0
Originally posted by: DurocShark
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Originally posted by: DurocShark
The kids wanted to go to CiCi's Pizza (all you can eat pizza buffet for under $5 per person).

Went to pay, the cashier said, "Sorry, we don't take credit cards." WTF? "You can use the ATM machine over there," and she points to a ripoff machine near the entrance. If the kids weren't already over getting their pizzas I would have walked out. $1.50 to the machine, and $2.50 to my bank = $4.00 cost to me because they don't take cards.

Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway.

Sounds like quite a rip off to me. Did the store display any VISA or MASTERCARD logos anywhere. Is so, they MUST accept any card with those logos. There's a Cicis 10 minutes from me, but I've never been there.

How is their pizza BTW?

See bolded section.

And I don't think there's any Visa/MC logos. I didn't look because it just didn't occur to me that a restaurant wouldn't take 'em.

They take checks though. :confused:

That sux. IM generally not a cheap person, but paying ATM fees is something that burns me inside. I will literally drive 15 minutes and waste gas to get to my bank before I use some random ATM machine. I don't think I've used a random ATM machine in over a year.

Who the hell writes checks in public anymore? :confused:

Anyways, I think many restaurants only accept cash or sometimes checks is because a lot of restaurants have poor cash flow.
 

BigToque

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
11,700
0
76
In some places it's a little strange to expect to be able to use a CC, so I usually ask them before I eat. If it's any kind of decent business, I don't ask.

Any time I encounter this situation (which has only happened a few times) I tell them that I will go to my bank to get money and return later, or ask them to reduce the bill by the fee I will be charged for using their ATM. They can't force you to use the ATM in their building.
 

Winchester

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2003
4,965
0
0
A few oriental food places and CiCi's do not take CC in my area. CiCi's shut down about a month ago.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Yeah it's pretty uncommon for a restaurant to not take credit cards, but it happens often enough that I usually check first if I'm not sure. KFC here doesn't take credit cards... they have a pseudo-ATM that prints out a slip that you use to pay for your food. McDonald's just recently started taking cards.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,997
126
1) You're a fool if you're doing business with a bank that charges you transaction fees for using an ATM
2) If they took credit cards they'd be charged a fee by the CC company and that cost would be passed along to you in the price of the pizza. You'd be paying it anyway, so the $1.50 machine fee is a wash.
3) Do you have any idea of what a child you sound like when you say something like "Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway."?? If the pizza sucks you would not go there in the first place nor would you go back if they started taking credit cards.
 

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
1) You're a fool if you're doing business with a bank that charges you transaction fees for using an ATM
2) If they took credit cards they'd be charged a fee by the CC company and that cost would be passed along to you in the price of the pizza. You'd be paying it anyway, so the $1.50 machine fee is a wash.
3) Do you have any idea of what a child you sound like when you say something like "Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway."?? If the pizza sucks you would not go there in the first place nor would you go back if they started taking credit cards.

Wow. What a d!ck.

1: The charge is one of the few downsides to this bank. The upsides more than make up for it.
2: It would be a heck of a lot less than $4.
3: Kids like the place. Chuck E Cheese's pizza sucks too. When you grow up and have kids you'll understand.
 

Fingolfin269

Lifer
Feb 28, 2003
17,948
31
91
I don't blame them. It already costs so little to eat at a CiCi's and I would imagine if they started taking cards at that location they would either make less profit or increase prices.
 

rudder

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
19,441
86
91
Originally posted by: DurocShark
Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway.

Don't call CiCi's pizza, yes it has flour, tomato sauce, and cheese, but thats as close as it will ever get to being a pizza. But you can bust your childrens guts for $2.99 so it is good in a pinch.
 

mb

Lifer
Jun 27, 2004
10,233
2
71
I went there once several years ago. The pizza tasted like dirt.
 

Lucky

Lifer
Nov 26, 2000
13,126
1
0
"You'd be paying it anyway, so the $1.50 machine fee is a wash."

No it's not. Even if him and his kids at $50.00 worth of pizza, the CC processing fee is probably around $1.20 or so. Assuming he has 2.2 kids, and he took wife, and accounting for $1.50/person drink, he would only be spending $27 with a $5/person buffet. Somewhere around .65 cents, far less than what he was charged.

:D
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,997
126
Originally posted by: DurocShark
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
1) You're a fool if you're doing business with a bank that charges you transaction fees for using an ATM
2) If they took credit cards they'd be charged a fee by the CC company and that cost would be passed along to you in the price of the pizza. You'd be paying it anyway, so the $1.50 machine fee is a wash.
3) Do you have any idea of what a child you sound like when you say something like "Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway."?? If the pizza sucks you would not go there in the first place nor would you go back if they started taking credit cards.

Wow. What a d!ck.

1: The charge is one of the few downsides to this bank. The upsides more than make up for it.
2: It would be a heck of a lot less than $4.
3: Kids like the place. Chuck E Cheese's pizza sucks too. When you grow up and have kids you'll understand.


Not my fault you lack common sense skippy. Having kids is no great accomplishment, they hold classes in schools to teach 12 year olds how not to do it

To repeat:

1) If your bank charges you an ATM fee, THAT'S YOUR FAULT, not theirs. Nobody can rip you off like that unless you allow them to do it. You allow them to, then blame the pizza place for your own foolishness.
2) The ATM fee is $1.50, not $4. That other $2.50 is between you and your ripoff bank. And YES, you would be paying $1.50 extra for the pizza if the place took credit cards.
3) I don't care if your kids fall over in spasms of joy over the pizza, it's the "Not going back until they start taking cards. Their pizza sucks anyway." line that makes you look like a 10 year old throwing a tantrum. The fact that the pizza sucks has nothing to do with your decision as you state you're willing to go back. The only reason you're not going back is the hissy fit over the cards.
4) Carry a twenty in your wallet for emergencies. Works wonders.
 

theknight571

Platinum Member
Mar 23, 2001
2,896
2
81
There are several "establishments" in the area near where I live that are cash only... no checks, cc, atm, etc.

I can only assume that it's because officially they "don't make a lot of money". Sure they don't. lol

When I went to apply for a marriage license, and again when I needed a copy of my birth certificate, that (at least at the time 7 years ago) the City of Detroit offices operated Cash Only.

I had to pay Cash for both items... which since it is Detroit, I can only assume was quickly split between the people in the office and the official City till.
 

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Having kids is no great accomplishment, they hold classes in schools to teach 12 year olds how not to do it

That the class you're taking right now?

:roll: