People making rude comments when making small purchases on a CC?
 

I put everything on my Blue Cash and Starwood card and use my BP Visa and Sony Visa for gas and places that don't take Amex respectively. I have noticed in the past 3 years or so of people making rude comments behind my back when making small transactions on a CC. They are like, "I can't believe he put 3 bucks on a CC" or "He must be a deadbeat if he has to put that on a CC." BTW, my personal favorite, "If you have the cash in the bank to pay for it, why not pay cash for it in the first place, END OF DISCUSSION." Yes, I actually had some lady (around mid-30s) tell me this once when I told her I pay in full, after she made one of those comments I listed on top, while at Home Depot. I personally find it rude when people make those comments!!! Haven't people heard of paying in full, hence no interest, hence its not costing me anything extra and I'm getting stuff in return ( cash back or reward points). It makes me wonder what percentage of Americans don't realize that if you pay a card in full= no interest? I've actually ran into people in the past in their 20s,30s,40s etc. that believe CC charge interest regardless if you pay in full or not and I mean dozens. Has this happened to anyone before?

I haven't noticed that much, but it does seem to annoy the owners of smaller stores (fast food places, for example), presumably because of the additional fees they're out.

I can't be bothered putting anything less than $5-10 on a credit card. Would be easier if we didn't have to sign for every transaction here in North America.

I have run into a couple of places, CVS to be specific, where you do not need to sign the slip if the charge is under $20.

I would personally dismiss (perhaps with a sneer ;)) any individual who would make such comments to a stranger in a public setting.

Attempting to educate the small-minded is trying to say the least.

Wirelessly posted (Treo 700p Sprint: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D052; Blazer/4.5) 16;320x320)

Didn't you just post the same thing in American Express Membership rewards forum?
The rulles of Flyertalk strictly forbid double posting. I strongly recommend to check FAQ section before posting next time.

Can somebody contact the moderator to merge both threads? I'm on my Treo and don't have that option at the present time.

911! Somebody call 911!

I run absolutely everything I can through my card for the points. Depending on the merchant though I may opt to pay in cash to save them the transaction fee. I only do this with small, local merchants though where the transaction amount is reasonably small (i.e. my shoe repair shop). However with chain stores I'll always pay with a credit card when the option is available.

I started a thread that complained about this very thing last year. However, I have since changed my position on the matter. I don't know if its the lack of cashiers ability to deal with cash, the speed of credit processing, both, or neither but I have noticed lately that cash transactions seem to take longer than credit cards. I still feel ridiculous charging $2, but I no longer get annoyed with people who do so.

Up here in Canada, no signature required if purchase is <$25 in McDonalds.

Sanosuke!

A while ago I posted to a thread about dining programs (AAs to be specific), and mentioned that several restaurants have a minimum amount to pay by credit card (and thus get miles). My response was deluged with posts saying this clearly is a violation of the merchant agreement, as the merchant must accept the credit card transaction in any amount.

Nevertheless, I still see many merchants (particularly smaller restaurants and other businesses) posting a $10 or $15 minimum credit card charge, and apparently getting away with it.

Regarding this particular thread, I know some people who don't wish to carry any cash on them whatsoever, and they pay for the smallest purchases with their plastic. I've made a few charges on items less than $5, and cannot really recall any rude remarks about it.

Once in the 15 items or less line at the grocery store, I remember someone in front of me putting a 38 cent charge on their Platinum charge card for an onion . I personally would be embarrassed to charge something for such a tiny amount, but the cashier professionally handled the transaction and said nothing out of line to the onion's buyer.

What do merchants pay as a processing charge? If they're getting hit with a transaction fee, plus a percentage, I can see why they don't want credit cards transaction of a dollar or two.

Anyone up on what merchants get dinged for these $1-2 purchases?

What does PhlyingRPh and H.M. The Queen have in common? We both think cash is a crock, of course. I have problems with both cheque and cash transactions for the following reasons...

Cash: It's excruciating to watch the cash transaction foreplay and intercourse. To think that mankind still has not managed to get the cash transaction down pat in over 6,000 years of trying is very depressing! The problem is that there are too many steps in the process. First the customer looks for his wallet or her purse. Next, they fiddle around for coins or notes then count them, often having to restart because they probably sense my anger. Finally handing the cash over to the cashier, the cashier begins counting, sorting, holding bills up to the light, then placing the currency in the cash register and picking up/counting change, handing it to the customer. Now, the customer counts the change, opens wallet or purse, places chang in the right place and slowly moves away.


Checks: Fewer steps than above but for some reason the type of pfolks using checks seem to move at a glacial pace and some cashiers don't see checks more than a couple of times a week and forget what to do with them.

Gift Card/Cheque Card: Fastest transaction speed and fewest number of steps. Perfect for those who are slow/don't know how to manage credit.

Credit Card: My preferred choice - very quick, rewarding and easy to keep track of expenses.

How about slowpokes using cash at the "self serve" checkout lanes of the grocery store? These are designed to be quick with little waiting. Then Uncle Joe decides to use it and feed in a dollar at a time.

Oh my...:rolleyes:

Yes. Especially as many stores have eliminated cashier service at certain times of the day and Uncle Joe is learning to use the self-serve lane at the same time as figuring out where to stick his George Washington.

Oh don't be embarrassed if you were to do so...I often charge a 20 or 30 something cent banana on my card at Safeway when I need an afternoon snack :)