Originally Posted by
phltraveler
Even though it may effectively feel the same, cash/check/other payment method discounting has been legal for years. Gas stations in the US Northeast regularly post cash/credit prices (where credit is 5-12 cents higher per gallon) and have done so for 10+ years before the surcharging settlement, because the cash price is a "cash discount".
It's always boggled my mind how one of those could be allowed while the other is simultaneously not. If one is banned, then the other should be too, as they are mathematically the same. If they're both allowed, I have a general issue with that but at least it's logical.
If there's ever any question about whether it's a "discount" or a surcharge, it becomes obvious when you find a nearby station that has only one price: it's nearly always the lower price. (Admittedly, gas station collusion is often too strong for there to be a nearby station not cramming customers with the bogus charge.)
This is one scam you can't always avoid, so I guess I'm just thankful that I haven't been buying a lot of gasoline in recent years and even less in 2020.