Minor gas station scam, but legal no doubt (Austin, Howe: 2014, credit card)

[resonator]

Electric sign on the street says 2.149 per gal

pump, after selecting regular gas, says 2.199 per gal

Bitterts Blanco 7 Eleven Exxon

[Pachuco2]

I noticed some Shell stations offer 5 cents off pump price if you pay cash.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by resonator

Electric sign on the street says 2.149 per gal

pump, after selecting regular gas, says 2.199 per gal

Bitterts Blanco 7 Eleven Exxon

I would think that could be considered false advertising.

Originally Posted by Pachuco2

I noticed some Shell stations offer 5 cents off pump price if you pay cash.

I don't know about Texas but here, if a station offers a different cash and credit price, that has to be stated on the sign.

[ashbeeigh]

There are lots of gas stations in Austin that provide a discount if you pay in cash and not always Shell stations, but it is on the signs. Are you sure that's not what happened?

[Deep Forest]

Exxon @ Evers & 410 gives 8 cent cut for paying with cash/debit card. Pumps will automatically adjust price. Their signs have credit prices posted.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

When I worked at a gas station, we always had to change the pumps first if going to a lower price, the sign first if going to a higher price. We were told that was the only legal way to do it. Of course, back then it involved a long pole with a suction cup, a string, plastic numbers and a lot of cussing when it was time to change the sign. With the new electronic signs, it should be easier to change and should even be possible to link the pump price and sign to change at the same time.

[VeeGer]

I agree with Hedgehog_Mom. I worked at service stations too and gas prices fluctuate. It can be any time of the day that you get a call from a higher up to change prices on the fly.

Sometimes you don't get to the boards yet.

[flashfearless]

As of August 2014, nine states prohibit retailers from passing credit card surcharges onto consumers. They are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Texas.

I'm looking for a more recent update on this, but I haven't found one. I refuse to buy gas at a place which doesn't treat them the same.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by resonator

Electric sign on the street says 2.149 per gal

pump, after selecting regular gas, says 2.199 per gal

Bitterts Blanco 7 Eleven Exxon

Originally Posted by Pachuco2

I noticed some Shell stations offer 5 cents off pump price if you pay cash.

I see it very often, and could understand if they would charge more for credit card, but they charge more for debit card also. And using debit card is very unsafe. (yes, skimming happens, AND anytime you use a debit card at a gas station there's a hold placed on your account, an amount determined by the retailer. Same as with credit card).
Most people don't carry cash nowadays, so they have to pay the higher price...

So, while 10 states prohibit stations from passing on that cost to credit card customers in the form of price surcharges, stations are permitted to offer cash discounts, even though, from a consumer perspective, it probably doesn't make a difference whether it's called a surcharge or discount.

We need to pay attention not to what the big sign says, but what is the price at the selected pump.

BTW: New Texas law allows merchants to decline card purchases without ID
A law that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2018 will let store owners refuse to process credit or debit card transactions if the buyer won't show ID. So be prepared to show your ID.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by flashfearless

As of August 2014, nine states prohibit retailers from passing credit card surcharges onto consumers. They are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Texas.

I'm looking for a more recent update on this, but I haven't found one. I refuse to buy gas at a place which doesn't treat them the same.

"Currently, 40 states permit merchants to directly pass along the cost of surcharges to consumers who use credit cards. Ten states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas, which together represent about 40% of the U.S. population — ban them.

Even in those banned states, merchants aren't prevented from charging differing amounts to customers depending on the payment method used. However, the relevant laws stipulate that the posted price must be that for using a credit card, and a discount may then be offered to customers who are willing to pay with cash.
If businesses blatantly break the law (by adding surcharges in states that prohibit them, or surcharging more than is allowed under federal law), you can also report them to your state’s Attorney General."

https://www.valuepenguin.com/2017/08...rcharge-battle

Convenience fees are not surcharges, which are costs added simply for the privilege of using a credit card.
More about convenience fees you can read here:
https://www.creditcards.com/credit-c...arges-1280.php