Card minimum spend!

cillit_bang · 07-09-2014 06:18PM #1

One thing that has f***ING annoyed me to no end in the last few months is business putting a 'minimum spend' on cards.

It's so infuriating, more and more people are moving to using less cash and they still have this rule, which is wildly variable depending on the business. Why are they refusing business!?

Most don't even put up a sign to say about the minimum spend.

cloud493 · 07-09-2014 06:19PM

Aye it can be annoying. Its something to do with charges for using the card isn't it? Or so the staff tell me. So a bigger shop just absorbs the cost I guess.

Guy:Incognito · 07-09-2014 06:19PM

cillit_bang wrote: »

. Why are they refusing business!?
.

if you lose money selling something to someone then its business you can do without.

daveohdave · 07-09-2014 06:20PM

Leave the goods on the counter and walk out.

The Purveyor of Truth · 07-09-2014 06:21PM

Self service tills ftw.

They even allow 'partial cash, rest of balance with card' payments.

Very annoying to be told to please take your change when it's still coming out though and to please take your groceries when you are still putting the change in your pocket. I'm not.. some fast person you know.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 07-09-2014 06:23PM

Carry cash too you slaphead. It's bad enough standing in a queue to buy my sunday paper when some bellend pulls out his card to pay a €3.50 bill.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 07-09-2014 06:23PM

Someone paying by card costs the shop money that cost doesn't change much whether you are paying them 5 cent or €50,000 however the impact of a 10 cent (or whatever it actually is) charge is quite a bit different in their calculation based on the size of the transaction.

EyeSight · 07-09-2014 06:23PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

if you lose money selling something to someone then its business you can do without.

I don't think they are making losses on sales(unless it's a 10 cent sale or something?), but maybe just less profit.
How is it that in other countries you can use card for anything? Maybe the card companies charge a % and not a fixed amount?

cillit_bang · 07-09-2014 06:25PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

if you lose money selling something to someone then its business you can do without.

I think that argument is BS. I don't the charges are that high anymore. There is certainly a vendor that offer very little charges.

mikemac1 · 07-09-2014 06:25PM

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Carry cash too you slaphead. It's bad enough standing in a queue to buy my sunday paper when some bellend pulls out his card to pay a €3.50 bill.

With that new card scan feature you can pay and be away faster then cash

cillit_bang · 07-09-2014 06:26PM

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Carry cash too you slaphead. It's bad enough standing in a queue to buy my sunday paper when some bellend pulls out his card to pay a €3.50 bill.

Nope, thats why we have the new nfc function. Which is faster than paying by cash.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 07-09-2014 06:26PM

EyeSight wrote: »

I don't think they are making losses on sales(unless it's a 10 cent sale or something?), but maybe just less profit.
How is it that in other countries you can use card for anything? Maybe the card companies charge a % and not a fixed amount?

In Ireland big shops are on one type of deal and most small retailers are on another in terms of price. Small retailers pay small monthly fee plus high per transaction charge while big shops pay higher monthly fee for card terminals with no charge per transaction

In other countries more locations have option 2

same ol sh1te · 07-09-2014 06:29PM

daveohdave wrote: »

Leave the goods on the counter and walk out.

I've done that. Went to a checkout with a roll and coffee, the assistant said 'we don't accept card transactions for less than a tenner'. I said 'i hope you take 2 sugars' and just walked out.

The Purveyor of Truth · 07-09-2014 06:30PM

I'm more annoyed about the additional fees for phone and ESB top-ups.

Payzone do not approve of these fees by the way, and so report them when you see them.

I heard that the shop across Tesco in Crumlin had their Payzone machine taken off them for charging these fees, hopefully this will keep happening until there is an end to shops doing this.

ukoda · 07-09-2014 06:32PM

this practice will be dead soon with the use of contactless payments for transactions under 15 euro

they are becoming more and more popular

deise08 · 07-09-2014 06:32PM

I thought that minimum spend was not allowed?
Thought I read somewhere that they have an agreement with the card suppliers, and if they force a minimum spend on customers they are breaking that agreement?

Guy:Incognito · 07-09-2014 06:32PM

cillit_bang wrote: »

I think that argument is BS. I don't the charges are that high anymore. There is certainly a vendor that offer very little charges.

Maybe do less "thinking" and go find out the facts . At least then it'll be an informed rant.

ukoda · 07-09-2014 06:33PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Maybe do less "thinking" and go find out the facts . At least then it'll be an informed rant.

credit card transactions cost business between 1 and 2 % of the transaction depending on the deal they have struck

debit cards are usually a fixed cost and are not very expensive at all

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 07-09-2014 06:34PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

With that new card scan feature you can pay and be away faster then cash

Fair enough, but how do you verify the transaction? If you've to enter a pin it can't be faster.

ukoda · 07-09-2014 06:35PM

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Fair enough, but how do you verify the transaction? If you've to enter a pin it can't be faster.

no pin, its for transactions less than 15 euro

duffman13 · 07-09-2014 06:35PM

same ol sh1te wrote: »

I've done that. Went to a checkout with a roll and coffee, the assistant said 'we don't accept card transactions for less than a tenner'. I said 'i hope you take 2 sugars' and just walked out.

Your a wild thing

MadYaker · 07-09-2014 06:36PM

deise08 wrote: »

I thought that minimum spend was not allowed?
Thought I read somewhere that they have an agreement with the card suppliers, and if they force a minimum spend on customers they are breaking that agreement?

No. Businesses get charged by the card companies on a per transaction basis. So if you are spending less than a certain amount the cost of the transaction can cancel out the profits of the sale, that is why there are sometimes transaction limits. It's generally in smaller businesses as they have to pay more for card services.

cloud493 · 07-09-2014 06:36PM

I do love contactless. I try to carry €15 or so in cash as well though, some places don't have card reading machines and what not.

cillit_bang · 07-09-2014 06:37PM

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Fair enough, but how do you verify the transaction? If you've to enter a pin it can't be faster.

Because it is under 15e (That's the rule), you don't have to enter pin. Mind you, A security risk? Yes.

same ol sh1te · 07-09-2014 06:40PM

duffman13 wrote: »

Your a wild thing

If more did the same they'd soon change their policy

Senna · 07-09-2014 06:46PM

Remember Laser cards, business paid very little commission on those transactions but banks realised they were losing out so replaced them with visa debit.
Card transactions range from 1.5-2.5% on average, for many shops, that is their net profit.

ukoda · 07-09-2014 06:49PM

Senna wrote: »

Remember Laser cards, business paid very little commission on those transactions but banks realised they were losing out so replaced them with visa debit.
Card transactions range from 1.5-2.5% on average, for many shops, that is their net profit.

no thats only for credit cards, debit cards are much much less, its hard to give an exact figure as it varies from card companies and banks and providers. but its really not that much at all

dgt · 07-09-2014 06:51PM

What's more annoying is when there is a surcharge of €1 under a €20 spend. What if you buy something that amounts to €19.99?

Senna · 07-09-2014 06:51PM

ukoda wrote: »

no thats only for credit cards, debit cards are much much less, its hard to give an exact figure as it varies from card companies and banks and providers. but its really not that much at all

We pay 1.5% on visa debit, so unless maybe your a big customer, as in over xx million Euro in transactions.

ukoda · 07-09-2014 06:53PM

Senna wrote: »

1.5% on visa debit, unless maybe your a big customer, as in over xx million Euro in transactions.

no i believe thats incorrect, its more like 0.05% capped at a maximum of 20 or 30 cent

where are you getting that figure from?

srsly78 · 07-09-2014 06:56PM

cillit_bang wrote: »

Nope, thats why we have the new nfc function. Which is faster than paying by cash.

Not if it's a shop in the sticks without a proper internet connection. The slow machines still work using a telephone and 56k modem! If the place has a modern broadband connection the transaction can be almost instant.

Card minimum spend!

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