How Will Credit Card Surcharges Affect You?
Jan 28, 2013, 10:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: VPS
Programs: DL-DM, 2MM; AA,QF,UA, WN. Every imaginable hotel program
Posts: 2,352
How Will Credit Card Surcharges Affect You?
I skimmed through recent posts and didn't see anything on this topic. Apologies if it is already being discussed.
A recent court decision resulting from a lawsuit brought by merchants against credit card companies will allow merchants to add as much as a 4% surcharge for credit card purchases.
I know that many FTers rely on Delta AMEX spending to boost their MQM balance and earn a higher SM status than they could with BIS miles alone. If credit card surcharges become widespread, how will this affect your use of credit cards in general and the DL AMEX card(s) in particular?
Will this affect the MQD "opt out" by DL AMEX spending?
Will this turn the USA into more of a cash society like Japan? Are there any unintended consequences looming?
A recent court decision resulting from a lawsuit brought by merchants against credit card companies will allow merchants to add as much as a 4% surcharge for credit card purchases.
I know that many FTers rely on Delta AMEX spending to boost their MQM balance and earn a higher SM status than they could with BIS miles alone. If credit card surcharges become widespread, how will this affect your use of credit cards in general and the DL AMEX card(s) in particular?
Will this affect the MQD "opt out" by DL AMEX spending?
Will this turn the USA into more of a cash society like Japan? Are there any unintended consequences looming?
Last edited by DLFan2; Jan 28, 2013 at 11:07 am
Jan 28, 2013, 11:29 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: United 1P; AA Gold; National EE; SPG Plat; HH Gold; Fairmont Plat
Posts: 194
Here is an interesting article on the subject: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...-about-little/
Jan 28, 2013, 11:34 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
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Posts: 971
Seems like AMEX is unaffected by this settlement, although holders of other airline CCs could be hurt.
Jan 28, 2013, 11:44 am
#4
Join Date: May 2010
Location: California, USA
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Marriott Silver, National EE
Posts: 475
One big caveat in the whole agreement is that if a business operates in any of the (currently) ten states (California, Colorado, Texas, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Oklahoma) where it is illegal to implement credit card surcharges, then they cannot add the charge in any of the other 40 states. This is due to the fact that regulations around credit card uses must be consistent across all operations. This tends to indicate that where you are going to see the surcharges are in the regional busineess, and mom & pop businesses. You are not going to see it in major hotel chains, restaurants and airlines.
Jan 28, 2013, 11:54 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SFO
Posts: 329
They won't because I live in California!
Jan 28, 2013, 12:14 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
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Much ado about nothing, and since this is not Delta-related I expect the mods to move this somewhere else.
Jan 28, 2013, 12:16 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
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Posts: 12,003
This is not a DL specific matter and will be discussed on the various CC forums. Therefore i am closing this discussion down.
RSSrsvp - Moderator
RSSrsvp - Moderator