As long as we're beating the CC business to death, I'd sure like to come up with definitive answers on the costs.

1. I'm pretty sure that the big players (United Airlines, Hertz, Hilton, etc.) have negotiated very low rates from the card guys - probably well below 2%. Is this true? And would a chain like Hilton, for example, get a corporate-wide rate, or does each individual property negotiate on its own?

2. Conventional wisdom has it that businesses like super markets and department stores operate on very thin margins - typically a couple of percent or so. If this is the case, a 2-3% cc charge would eat up all the profit, yet every supermarket I've been in in the US and Europe accepts cc's. What's the situation here - have they raised prices to compensate? Are we suckers if we pay cash?

I'd like to hear actual numbers from people on the rates paid by the big guys, the little guys, and the mom&pops. Is it supposed to be secret? If so, I think I'd like to know that, too.

Can't do any scheming unless we know what we're dealing with.

Hey look - I've got a palindromic post count!

[This message has been edited by BigLar (edited 10-09-2003).]