€6 minimum credit card transaction allowed?

BuffyBot

Yes, they do in fact.

It could vary as many McDonalds are franchisee's

parsi

Bond-007 wrote:

Yes, they do in fact.[/QUOTE

That must be recent. So recent that Douglas dont know anything about it..

Our man in Havana

parsi wrote:

Bond-007 wrote:

Yes, they do in fact.

That must be recent. So recent that Douglas dont know anything about it..

The one in Roscrea does.

dub45

fletch wrote:

I was waiting for someone to argue that point. I think my response to this would be that first of all the machine was not broken, it was incapable of processing my payment.
I do not have facts and figures to substantiate my following argument but I think one can agree it is not beyond the realms of reality. I think it is fair to say that a large percentage of transactions would be for single/return tickets. One would imagine that irishrail would provide as much facility as possible to sell these tickets by enabling them to be purchased using a credit card. Personally if I was running a business and I was providing a credit card facility, I would be ensuring that it could be used to purchase the items which sell the most.
.................................................... 2 hrs! :eek:

I think the poster was making the point that because the retailer was incapable of processing the payment (for whatever reason) it would not be in order to wave the credit card and demand that the shop invoiced him as he departed with the goods!

If you do not have the facts and figures why are you making the argument?

The simple fact is you are a fare evader. You got on the train without a ticket. You decide that an inspector who does his job is unreasonable because he wanted to stop you being a fare evader. You claim that you were cooperative yet the only thing he asked you to cooperate with i.e. produce your id you failed to do. You say that you did not hang around for the gardai to arrive so although you have never confirmed this I suspect that in fact they did not get your details at all or can you confirm that they did and that you will be paying a fine in due course?

You have made no effort since (on your own admission) to pay the fare which you evaded. Stop digging..........for lots of things its Mastercard for the train ticket it was cash! And you were fully aware of that before you boarded.

John R

antoinolachtnai wrote:

Re Victor's post, it depends on management accounting semantics. I would say that the cost of cash handling is just as marginal as credit card charges. You don't need to empty the boxes as often or service the equipment as often if you don't handle as much cash. You obviously have to restructure to reduce your cost base accordingly, otherwise you won't accrue the savings. But that's just life in a rapidly changing world.

You are seriously underestimating the cost of handling coins. The bank charges up to 2 percent for dealing with coin lodgements.

A company that produces a large amount of cash deposits such as IE can get better rates than a typical buisiness but yes there are costs associated with cash handling/banking.

In this instance it is you that is seriously underestimating credit card costs.

While the overall cost on cash may be somewhere around the 10% mark the credit card costs on a small transaction, say a €1.80 fare would be around the 90% mark.

John R

fletch wrote:

I was waiting for someone to argue that point. I think my response to this would be that first of all the machine was not broken, it was incapable of processing my payment.
I do not have facts and figures to substantiate my following argument but I think one can agree it is not beyond the realms of reality. I think it is fair to say that a large percentage of transactions would be for single/return tickets. One would imagine that irishrail would provide as much facility as possible to sell these tickets by enabling them to be purchased using a credit card. Personally if I was running a business and I was providing a credit card facility, I would be ensuring that it could be used to purchase the items which sell the most.
Also on certain busy commuter routes, irishrail provides a grossly insufficient service with a gap of 1hr 51mins :eek: durin rush hour. Until such a time, when they can provide an adequate service I do not see how they can enforce such strict penalties when often times their trains do not keep to their scheduled times and could as a result leave a person stranded for nearly 2 hrs! :eek:

So to apply the shop analogy to that pathetic arguement; if the shops products/customer services are not to your liking and they won't accept your credit card THEN it's perfectly acceptable to steal from them?


I am really interested now to find out what this mystical station is, so far we knoe it:

Is less than a €6 single from Connolly.

Has no ATM within 50mns of it.

Is staffed and has a ticket machine.

Has a nearly 2hr gap in rush hour.

Victor

John R wrote:

Is less than a €6 single from Connolly.

Surely thats a return fare, seeing as he "had to" spend money to get the bus change to go home.

Fletch, does these posts sum you up?

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=51108599&postcount=26

I don't want to have to walk, that's why I bought a car, I don't want to get wet!

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=51045313&postcount=6

fletch wrote:

How are they going to enforce this? Are they going to give each student and staff member a swipe card or ask us to register our number plates (what happens then if i decide to take my mam or dads car to college and not my own)...and then what happens to visitors cars....
And we're not allowed to park on the grass or in the bicycle lanes anymore....where are we supposed to park! I've never once seen a cyclist in those lanes! I'm certainly not parking way off down past the football pitches.....I for one will be drilling off any clamp thats put on my car

John R

Victor wrote:

Surely thats a return fare, seeing as he "had to" spend money to get the bus change to go home.

Well that would make the 50mns from an ATM even more unlikely.

Less than €6 return would be Donabate, Bray, Maynooth or closer to the city.

I can't be bothered to confirm this right now (no timetable handy) but I'm 99% sure that there is nothing like a 1h50min gap on services from any station that would have a €6 or less return fare, and there certainly isn't one in rush hour.

Victor

He would appear to be in [strike]college[/strike] university in Maynooth and the two train rides, two DARTs, two busses would have him doing his work in Sandyford. Although he may not live there, seeing sa he has to drive to [strike]college[/strike] university.

AIB Bank
Main Street
Maynooth

ATM Yes

antoinolachtnai

John R wrote:

A company that produces a large amount of cash deposits such as IE can get better rates than a typical buisiness but yes there are costs associated with cash handling/banking.

In this instance it is you that is seriously underestimating credit card costs.

While the overall cost on cash may be somewhere around the 10% mark the credit card costs on a small transaction, say a €1.80 fare would be around the 90% mark.

No, it wouldn't be that high. 21 percent would be the most I would expect to pay, less for laser cards.

10 percent is reasonably optimistic for cash handling costs. And the handling costs for small transactions are not the same as big ones. They may be, but they are probably not (season tickets and larger may be less expensive to process).

At the bank end, there is certainly a discount to be had on cash-handling charges, but at the end of the day, there is no cheap way for the bank to deal with 300,000 euros (or whatever it is) in 10, 20 and 50 cent coins. It's literally tonnes of money.

Anyway, the difference, if there is a difference, isn't really that big.

John R

antoinolachtnai wrote:

No, it wouldn't be that high. 21 percent would be the most I would expect to pay, less for laser cards.

10 percent is reasonably optimistic for cash handling costs. And the handling costs for small transactions are not the same as big ones. They may be, but they are probably not (season tickets and larger may be less expensive to process).

At the bank end, there is certainly a discount to be had on cash-handling charges, but at the end of the day, there is no cheap way for the bank to deal with 300,000 euros (or whatever it is) in 10, 20 and 50 cent coins. It's literally tonnes of money.

Anyway, the difference, if there is a difference, isn't really that big.

When dealing with large transactions then I would agree. With small transactions the difference is because VISA/Mastercard levy a per transaction fee. I do not know if companies that do large volumes can negotiate better deals but with the way the system is set up I would think not.

The fees I do know about, from relatively small companies are in the region of €1.50-€3 per transaction. That is regardless of the size of the purchase.

The CC levy that many big companies such as airlines charge would suggest that similar charges are applicable to them also.

antoinolachtnai

No, the fee for a small transaction wouldn't anything like as big as that. As an example, paypal charges 35c + 1.9-3.4 percent depending on the volume. (On the other hand, a large tx could cost a lot more.)

There are plenty of car parks, telco's and transport companies that use credit cards for smaller transactions. It's not perfect, but it is possible.

Saruman

While i agree they should have accepted the card.. he Still got on knowing he was breaking the law.
As for minimum ammount.. it depends on where you are.. Most places i use laser or credit card they have no problem with me paying for a €2 sandwhich. One time i was refused so i left the freshly prepared sandwhich on the desk and walked out saying your loss.. now they have a useless sandwich wasted...
Mostly however its fine.. some places like certain Mace stores have a min of €10 but they give you back the change and charge the card €10 which is handy as then you have a little cash!!

I try and keep some money with me but its very difficult.. some people seem to not realise this. So many times i try to get money from ATM's only to find they are out of service or have no money etc.

markf909

Victor wrote:

He would appear to be in [strike]college[/strike] university in Maynooth and the two train rides, two DARTs, two busses would have him doing his work in Sandyford. Although he may not live there, seeing sa he has to drive to [strike]college[/strike] university.

AIB Bank
Main Street
Maynooth

ATM Yes

I get the feeling that it is maynooth too. There can be big gaps in the timetable between 4 and 6 between the intermediate stations from Maynooth to Connolly.
BTW if it is Maynooth, there are about 7-8 ATMS within a 5 minute walk of the station.

murphaph

At least Feletch has given us a super-sleuth thread! I say Clonsilla is a fare hike from an ATM, don't think there's one in the Shell, not even sure if there's one in the 'village' either in the Spar. There's no bank anyway. Leixlip Louisa Bridge is also a bit of a hike to the main street and back (not sure about ATMs in hops around there).

fletch

murphaph wrote:

At least Feletch has given us a super-sleuth thread! I say Clonsilla is a fare hike from an ATM, don't think there's one in the Shell, not even sure if there's one in the 'village' either in the Spar. There's no bank anyway. Leixlip Louisa Bridge is also a bit of a hike to the main street and back (not sure about ATMs in hops around there).

WE have a winner! Yes it was Clonsilla...the nearest ATM is in the Molloys in Coolmine which is in fact a 25min walk...(50mins there and back).

John_R wrote:

I can't be bothered to confirm this right now (no timetable handy) but I'm 99% sure that there is nothing like a 1h50min gap on services from any station that would have a €6 or less return fare, and there certainly isn't one in rush hour

Wrong, wrong and wrong, I think you will find that I am correct in the 1hr 51min gap between trains

MarkoP11

Maynooth City is a band C which makes it a €5 return to the city centre area, Clonsilla is €3.50. The full fares matrix http://www.platform11.org/passenger_info/fares_matrix.php

I have no time for fare evaders, plently of time for those who are unfairly treated plain and simple

You can argue till the cows come home about credit cards which really should be discussed on a banking/consumer forum is a €6 limit restictive possibly is it illegal no. The fact remains ticket office open, staffed and the OP did not purchase a ticket nor at anytime was in possession of funds to purchase such, second the OP crossed the barrier at the station without a ticket the offence was committed. RPA policy is the same as is Dublin Bus you must have a ticket, the RPA won't even let you board if the ticket machines are out of order

Trying to justify this behavour by claiming that in some way a poor service frequency simply shows immaturity, lack of respect for basic social and business norms as well as desperation to seek support for a futile case. On that line of reasoning half the country would try to travel for free. This I'm special in some way attitude isn't helping, you got caught fair and square acccept it and move on

You use a service you pay for it, if it falls below the agreed standard the offer in contract terms (the timetable in this case) then you can argue a case for a refund in line with set proceedures, Irish Rail have 3 specific forms for such cases. You stepped onto the train of free will I'd deem that to be acceptance of the offer IE presented no matter how poor it is, thats not the matter of debate

I'm pretty sure the suburban rail office doesn't take plastic remember that when you pay the fine

dub45

You obviously love BMW's so in future use it to you help you avoid being a fare evader etc etc just chant before you leave home 'Bring My Wallet' 'Bring my Wallet' then you wont be doing bad things leading you to post on boards confessing your sins publicly to expunge your guilt.

fletch

dub45 wrote:

You obviously love BMW's so in future use it to you help you avoid being a fare evader etc etc just chant before you leave home 'Bring My Wallet' 'Bring my Wallet' then you wont be doing bad things leading you to post on boards confessing your sins publicly to expunge your guilt.

I'll bear that in mind thanks.....Oh and I have no guilt whatsoever....I merely posted to see whether or not people felt that the inspector was a bit heavy handed and unreasonable....obviously not it seems

dub45

fletch wrote:

I'll bear that in mind thanks.....Oh and I have no guilt whatsoever....I merely posted to see whether or not people felt that the inspector was a bit heavy handed and unreasonable....obviously not it seems

When are you going to tell us whether or not you actually provided them with your details before you scarpered without paying your fare and if you will in fact be paying a fine?

Heavy handed and unreasonable because he attempted to do his job?:rolleyes: (Your middle name isnt Mourinho is it?)

dowlingm

While not accepting a E5 fare may not be illegal - it MAY put IE in breach of a card handling agreement. I would try and dig into Visa/Mastercard agreements if I were you, as I seem to recall this coming up in another context.

If you told IE that you would complain to your card issuer and cite their agreements with MC/VS etc. the problem might go away pdq.

antoinolachtnai

Well ... I don't know if that would work. At the end of the day IE is an independent undertaking. Visa/Mastercard can't tell them how to run their business (no matter what it says in the agreement, because it is probably a restriction on trade). In any case, the OP has no way of getting sight of the contract between IE and its bank.

It might be worth trying with ODCA. It sounds like IE advertised a facility, but failed to publicise the limitations on the service. As a result, the OP was disadvantaged.