Misleading gas prices

[Pattyhm73]

I pulled up to a Valero gas station, it advertised $4.19 a gallon, so i pumped $50.00 w/my credit card so when i turned my truck on, it wasnt full, so i checked my receipt and i paid $4.30 a gallon, and i was confused, so i looked at the sign again and i seen in small letters "CASH ONLY"

I was so upset, and wondered how do they switch the price dependin on how ur paying, if im getting the same amount of gas, why are they doing this?

tomorrow im going to go again and pay cash, then pay w/my card

i got this pic of the internet, that's how it's advertise. but it was 4.19

The regular credit card price should be the one advertised on the large signs, not the discounted price.



WHAT A RIP OFF

does anyone know how this works???

[windrivermaiden]

It has to do with how much the independants get charged to honor credit cards. Every transaction they take on a credit card, they have to pay a fee to the credit company. So they pass it on to the customer. If you pay cash, no fee for them, so they state their gas cost at that amount. Pay with card and they put the fee into your purchase total. Debit cards also can have fees that are charged to the merchants who accept them.

Credit card companies are making money both ways on things . Businesses have to pay a fee to be able to accept credit, they have to buy or rent the credit card processing equiptment from the credit card company. They pay the fee every month, whether or not people use their cards to make purchases. When a person uses a credit card, there is another fee of a few cents... Then on the other side, if you have a credit card, you usually pay a yearly fee to have that card, even when you dont use it and you pay interest....at a pretty good return rate to use it.

Credit cards from the Majors allow you to buy gas at their stations only. The cost is rolled into the price of the gas...they charge the same for every one, but since you are paying a fee to have the gas card, they figure you are beholden to them to purchase at their stations so everyone pays the same price. They also have a pretty hefty interest rate.

Its not TECHNICALLY false advertizing...but it is sort of twisted and sneaky.

[Pattyhm73]

yeah i totally understand the gas stations want us to pay for the fee's that they have to pay for the usage of credit cards, but... arco atleast ask u if u accept to pay a 45cent fee, before pumping and u still get the price advertise and u knowing that ur paying 45 cents for using ur credit card, what valero is doing is very sneaky. it's not illeagal but it is misleading

[Calnumismatist]

California is one of a just a few states that still charge "extra" for credit card purchases of gas. Most stations do place both prices on their reader boards, but it is not mandatory. The stations pay 3% extra for processing credit cards, so they pass those savings along to the customer.

[Joe_Lorenzini]

Here in Texas they do something similar but not as sneaky. At many pumps there will be 2 displays (one on top of the other). Top display is what anyone pays and bottom display is what people pay who use that stations credit card. It's usually 3-4 cents per gallon cheaper. Not a lot I know but anything helps.

We ended up getting a CC for the station nearest to us. Luckily it's one of the cheaper stations in the area so we get a good deal and then some. We pay it off every month and take whatever savings we can get from it.

BTW, gas prices in North Texas right now are around 3.70 per gallon.

_/oe

[Killjoy]

When you are filling up 60+ gallons at a time, trust me. A couple of cents per gallon helps.