restaurants not accepting laser below certain euro amount

tech77

If a restaurant accepts laser but tells you they don't accept laser for amounts under 10 euro are they perfectly within their rights to do this.

Or is accepting laser an all-or-nothing thing.
Any advice much appreciated.

Nightwish

There's no minimum limit, per sé on Laser (as opposed to the upper limit) but the shop is well within its rights to set a minimum limit, as it costs them for every transaction.

mcaul

yep - it costs them on each transaction - an absolute whopping 15cent!!!!!!

ScouseMouse

There is no set rule about this. It is down to retailers choice. I dont except any transactions under a tenner as if everyone started doing it, it would slow down the tills and with the charges involved, it would not be worth my while.

chrislad

I don't know if there's any truth in this, but regarding amounts less than 10e, they aren't covered by Fraud or what not, so if someone steals a laser/credit card, the seller isn't covered for amounts less than 10.

Again, dunno if it's true, but it's what I heard.

jahalpin

chrislad wrote:

I don't know if there's any truth in this, but regarding amounts less than 10e, they aren't covered by Fraud or what not, so if someone steals a laser/credit card, the seller isn't covered for amounts less than 10.

Again, dunno if it's true, but it's what I heard.

Don't think that's the case, as once a PIN is entered it is very difficult to get a chargeback done.

Most shops use dial up to connect their machines, so on top of the fee (usually around 19c) they also have to pay for phone call, thermal paper for machine and staff time.

Credit\Debit cards aren't a form of legal tender so it is entirely at the discretion of the shop whether they accept them for transactions or not and also which trabsactions they accept them for

zt-OctaviaN

hmm there is also the argument:

Laser is legal tender.
You cannot refuse legal tender.

Not all transactions are customer present so chargebacks are possible e.g in this case it was a customer not present type transaction.

So if you were in a situation where you hadnt any cash then they are refusing legal tender?

Also a charge back in the case of theft of card or fraud are always possible UNLESS the bank can proove neglegence on your behalf!

jahalpin

zt-OctaviaN wrote:

hmm there is also the argument:

Laser is legal tender.
You cannot refuse legal tender.

Not all transactions are customer present so chargebacks are possible e.g in this case it was a customer not present type transaction.

So if you were in a situation where you hadnt any cash then they are refusing legal tender?

Also a charge back in the case of theft of card or fraud are always possible UNLESS the bank can proove neglegence on your behalf!

Laser is NOT legal tender. The only legal tender in ROI are Euro notes and coins (coins upto a certain value only). If Laser was legal tender every shop etc would have to have a laser machine and have to accept it

Disclosing the PIN is extreme neglegence and so a chargeback would be very very difficult

While you are right about card not present transactions being very risky for the retailer, we were talking about card present transactions which have to be authorised by PIN

MDTyKe

Its classed as "Acceptable Tender" (at least thats the terminology we use here in the North). What that means is, it is by standard, accepted, but it doesn't have to be. I don't believe though it can be refused without acceptable reason (eg, limits) Also, 1 and 2c coins do not legally have to be accepted t values of more than 50c I think it is -- similar things occur with the other coins. I think now, the 1c and 2c cost more to mint than their value, so they'll probably get rid of them pretty soon.


Matt