What does the law say about those merchants who charge additional fees when a customer uses credit card?
Is it illegal? If yes, is there a phone number to report the merchant?

VIOLATION OF CREDIT CARD POLICY
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STATES THAT PROHIBIT CREDIT CARD SURCHARGES
The following states prohibit merchants from adding surcharges to credit card transactions

California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Kansas
Maine
Massachusetts
New York
Oklahoma
Texas.

This may be an out-dated list

What should we do if a merchant violates that policy?

REPORT THEM

In the case of a FEE...dispute the fee
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"I bought XXXXXXXXX the total bill was $7.50 but was told they have a minimum charge of $10.00

I had to pay a fee of $2.50

I am disputing the fee of $2.50...I am not disputing the whole $10.00 charge"

Everyone pays additional fees every time a card is swiped. Most merchants figure that fee in when the put prices on their goods and services. Only the dumb ones try to collect it as an additional fee at the cash register.

That credit card fee is TAX DEDUCTABLE (don't MICRO-MANAGE the fee at the expense of paying business)

Revenue collections are better for businesses than tax deductions.

SO HAVING NO BUSINESS IS BETTER THAN BUSINESSS BY CREDIT CARD

Know, having no business is not the issue here. The issue is that any business that takes credit cards, adds 2% to 4% to the selling price of all their items and service to make up for the handling charges charged by the card companies. That means if a person spends $35,000.00 a year for living expenses, that person spent $700.00 (based on 2%) in fees whether or not they use a card. And for those people who do use a card the merchant takes a tax deduction for that expense. Sound to me like the real rewards program is experienced by the merchant.

I SPEND MONEY (credit card) AT THE BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY TAKE CREDIT CARDS

no credit cards = no business

Do you believe that most people are like you in this regard?

Should I call a bank or a master card company to report them?

http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/c...violations.html

___In order to make a MasterCard purchase, the merchant/retailer required a minimum or maximum amount.
_X_The merchant/retailer is adding a charge for using your MasterCard card.
___The merchant/retailer required identification.
___A merchant/retailer displaying the MasterCard decal in their window refused to accept my MasterCard card.

I am, at least. I never use cash or checks. It would be interesting to know what percentage of purchases are paid for by credit cards, as opposed to cash or checks. I know at the grocery store I mostly see people using a card, whether debit or credit. It's rare to see someone pay with cash and really rare to see someone pull out a checkbook.

For Visa call 800 VISA 911. Ask to make an incident report.

Go buy it from a merchant that does not violate that policy. Vote with your feet.

I want to report the violation without giving my name because I don't want the merchant to know that I reported it. Do you think they will process my request without my name?

They won't give any of your information to the merchant.

But, if you don't want to give your (real, made up, or otherwise...) name to the form, call 1-800-300-3069 then go for option 1, option 3, then option 0 and you can voice-record the violation and you don't need to leave your name. But, then they have your voice... but that won't get shared with the merchant either.

Like M/C is going to tell the business your name...even if they did...DOES THAT MEAN THE BUSINESS WAS RIGHT IN VIOLATING THE M/C POLICY...NO

What would the business do to you???

It is not your policy

I would stop patronizing said business.

The place I've found to be the worst with fees is gas stations. You go inside, try to put the $1.50 soda on credit, and get told there is a fee. Of course, I don't pay any fee and either abandon the purchase or get them to run the card without the fee. For those where I end up having the abandon the in-store purchase, I love how they have pay at the pump. If I end up abandoning the in store purchase, I typically go out to the pump and initiate numerous small 2 or 4 cent transactions that way. They can't do a thing with these transactions at the pump (no fee). It seems when using credit at the pump, after you run the same card between two and five times depending on the processing used, your card stops working for security reasons. However, debit cards seem to approve again, and again, and again, and again, with no security block.

Of course, I never go back to these places that charge a fee to pay by credit in the store.

You sure showed them.

I hope it was a fountain drink or coffee that they can't do anything with other than dump down the drain

Would the cash register receipt say "CREDIT CARD FEE" $0.50

When using the debit card, do you use it as a pin transaction or signature transaction?

Note, I would not recommed using the debit card at pay at the pump, I would use the debit card inside to pay for my purchase.

Also, each time you use the card at pay at the pump, a hold is put on your card. Pin hold clears faster, than the signature hold. Pin holds clears in one to two business days. Signature transactions any where from 3 to 7 business days. Sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

My custom made sandwich got trashed and the drink at SUBWAY

Too bad they got in major trouble and no longer ask for ID on signed credit cards
(especially asking for ID before they even looked to see if the card was signed)

Heads rolled