WTF is up with gas.....2 days ago...$3.09...today..3.49

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TheSlamma

Diamond Member
Sep 6, 2005
7,625
5
81
$3.29 here in Denver.. but that's cause we are not dumb like Dave and live in places where gas is super expensive factually and fictionally.
 

OCGuy

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
27,224
36
91
^
LOL @ the troll using gas stations by the airport (typically much higher than average to fuck rental car returners in the ass).

I just paid 3.89 this morning here in SoCal, one of the higher priced areas in the country. Not quite on the way to $6.
 

paperfist

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2000
6,517
280
126
www.the-teh.com
Gas stations only make a few pennies on each gallon of gas they sold. With the fee's they're charged by whoever handles their merchant services. If they didn't tack on 50 or so cents for people who use Visa or MC to get their gas. They'd be losing money. As it stands they make very little on gas.

Losing money isn't good for business really.

So they should charge more, not hide the fees :p
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
I thought charging different prices for cash vs. credit was either illegal in California or not allowed by credit card company contracts with vendors, or both?

MotionMan
 

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,017
147
106
Gas stations only make a few pennies on each gallon of gas they sold. With the fee's they're charged by whoever handles their merchant services. If they didn't tack on 50 or so cents for people who use Visa or MC to get their gas. They'd be losing money. As it stands they make very little on gas.

Losing money isn't good for business really.

The way I understand it, the higher the gas prices, the LESS money gas stations make on the typical credit card sale. They typically mark up their gas by a fixed number of cents per gallon, but the credit card fees are a percentage of the sale. So as the sale amount rises, the amount of profit is actually shrinking because the number of gallons doesn't go up.

At $4 a gallon, the credit card fees could come to 10 cents per gallon (2%) but the markup is only 10-12 cents per gallon.

I would not be surprised if cash discounts make a comeback.
 

dfuze

Lifer
Feb 15, 2006
11,953
0
71
^
LOL @ the troll using gas stations by the airport (typically much higher than average to fuck rental car returners in the ass).

I just paid 3.89 this morning here in SoCal, one of the higher priced areas in the country. Not quite on the way to $6.
Ouch, and I thought the 3.75 I noticed the other day here in northern CT was bad
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,889
47
91
www.alienbabeltech.com
Originally Posted by OCGuy
^
LOL @ the troll using gas stations by the airport (typically much higher than average to fuck rental car returners in the ass).

I just paid 3.89 this morning here in SoCal, one of the higher priced areas in the country. Not quite on the way to $6.


Ouch, and I thought the 3.75 I noticed the other day here in northern CT was bad

Can you believe he is bragging about paying $3.89?
 

Engineer

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
39,230
701
126
Can you believe he is bragging about paying $3.89?

I don't know about bragging but to that extent, big oil has won. We'll be happy to pay $3.00 in the near future.........sadly.

I heard (or read) that for every $0.01 that gas/diesel goes up, it takes $1.5 billion out of other spend in the economy directly not counting the extra costs associated with rising prices (such as food and other products driven by truck).
 

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
23
76
the gas here was hovering at about 3.09 for a while, then that stupid news story about the gas average being 3.49 went out. all of a sudden, within hours, the prices hit 3.30ish and have been going up since. lowest i can find right now is 3.31 and that suuuuuucks.
 

paperfist

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2000
6,517
280
126
www.the-teh.com
I thought charging different prices for cash vs. credit was either illegal in California or not allowed by credit card company contracts with vendors, or both?

MotionMan

According to this http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13905579/ns/business-consumer_news/

"There is no federal regulation that prohibits a merchant from charging a fee for using a credit or debit card, although some states outlaw these surcharges.

According to Americans for Consumer Education and Competition (a group partially funded by Visa), states that prohibit all surcharges are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas."

&

"But even where a surcharge is legal, it’s generally a violation of Visa and MasterCard’s rules for a store to tack on a surcharge for their credit or debit cards. They define a surcharge as any fee that is charged for using the card that is not charged when another payment method is used. (Note: This rule does not apply when you pay your federal income tax with plastic.)"

So I emailed Visa to see what they say.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
According to this http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13905579/ns/business-consumer_news/

"There is no federal regulation that prohibits a merchant from charging a fee for using a credit or debit card, although some states outlaw these surcharges.

According to Americans for Consumer Education and Competition (a group partially funded by Visa), states that prohibit all surcharges are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas."

&

"But even where a surcharge is legal, it’s generally a violation of Visa and MasterCard’s rules for a store to tack on a surcharge for their credit or debit cards. They define a surcharge as any fee that is charged for using the card that is not charged when another payment method is used. (Note: This rule does not apply when you pay your federal income tax with plastic.)"

So I emailed Visa to see what they say.

So I was 2-0. ;)

MotionMan
 

paperfist

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2000
6,517
280
126
www.the-teh.com
So I was 2-0. ;)

MotionMan

Looks like NY enforced its non credit surcharge law on gas stations in '08:

http://www.ag.ny.gov/media_center/2008/aug/aug21a_08.html

"Attorney General Cuomo’s office conducted an investigation that inspected approximately 120 gas stations in Nassau and Suffolk counties and found that an estimated one-third of gas stations were engaged in deceptive practices by either charging customers more for using a credit card, or by posting only the lower cash prices on their large, street-facing signs in order to lure patrons to their station and then charging them more at the pump.

Cuomo noted that customers who use credit cards already pay a premium to the credit card company. An additional “usage fee” at the pump doubly penalizes the customer. The investigation also determined that by withholding the higher credit card price until the consumer has already parked at the pump, the stations misled the consumer and prevented honest comparative price shopping from the street. Some gas stations did include the word “cash” in small letters on the large signs, but they were too small to read from the street."

Time to see if the # still works :)
 

OCGuy

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
27,224
36
91
I think some of the fee restrictions were loosened when the new CC law passed last year.
 

paperfist

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2000
6,517
280
126
www.the-teh.com
Visa says,

"Thank you for contacting Visa.

Surcharges are percentage-based additional charges on a transaction. For example, the charge is $100.00 and the merchant applies a surcharge of 2.5%, which equates to $2.50. This is typically submitted as a separate charge (transaction #1 $100.00; transaction#2 $2.50), but some merchants submit as a single charge ($102.50).

Visa does not allow surcharging except in instances of tax payments as provided by registration (official payments program).

A discount for cash is different from a surcharge. The rule states the posted price must be for cards, however, merchants can provide a lower price for cash acceptance. Discounts for cash are allowed by Visa. However, merchants are not permitted to post a price for cash, and then charge a higher price for cards.

To report any merchant practices that you feel are inappropriate, please call Global Customer Care Services at 1-800-VISA-911 (1-800-847-2911). Please advise them that you were referred to file a complaint. The staff will be able to initiate a complaint form over the phone."

We hope this information proves helpful and thank you for writing.

Visa Webmaster"

So the local places where I live are in violation because they display the lower cash price on the big sign and charge you a higher price when you use a card.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
Visa says,

"Thank you for contacting Visa.

Surcharges are percentage-based additional charges on a transaction. For example, the charge is $100.00 and the merchant applies a surcharge of 2.5%, which equates to $2.50. This is typically submitted as a separate charge (transaction #1 $100.00; transaction#2 $2.50), but some merchants submit as a single charge ($102.50).

Visa does not allow surcharging except in instances of tax payments as provided by registration (official payments program).

A discount for cash is different from a surcharge. The rule states the posted price must be for cards, however, merchants can provide a lower price for cash acceptance. Discounts for cash are allowed by Visa. However, merchants are not permitted to post a price for cash, and then charge a higher price for cards.

To report any merchant practices that you feel are inappropriate, please call Global Customer Care Services at 1-800-VISA-911 (1-800-847-2911). Please advise them that you were referred to file a complaint. The staff will be able to initiate a complaint form over the phone."

We hope this information proves helpful and thank you for writing.

Visa Webmaster"

So the local places where I live are in violation because they display the lower cash price on the big sign and charge you a higher price when you use a card.

I have seen gas stations list prices for both cash and credit. That seems like a gray area.

MotionMan