Customer forced to pay surcharge for card payment, highlighting a bigger issue: 'You can't do that and refuse cash'

• 
  via Getty Images

  Customer checks phone while waiting for appointment. 

  _{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}

• For businesses, credit cards can be kind of a headache, because they have to pay a fee to process the transaction. And yet, some places simply don't take cash at all any more. That leaves some people asking, “Can you really do that?”

• 
  via Kateryna Hliznitsova

  Customer counts out hundred dollar bills to pay for service.

• Just ask this person, who was totally befuddled by a recent purchase they had to make. 

  As they shared, they were trying to pay for their dr's visit, which resulted in a $50 charge. 

  Now, the first thing they mention here is that they tried to pay with a $50 bill. This is a whole seperate issue, because a lot of businesses print signs out warning customers that they won't accept any $50s or $100s. I'm not sure why those places don't just invest in a couple of markers to see if the bills are real or not (I just looked, and one marker costs $4.50, so it's not like a huge expense or anything). 

• 
  via Benyamin Bohlouli

  Waiting room with teal seating.

  _{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}

• Anyway. This person tries to pay a $50 charge with a $50 bill, and it's a no-go. The receptionist straight up refuses their cash money. Okay, fine. They then go to pay with their credit card, and, as you might've guessed, there's a surcharge. 

  A $50 bill is now $51.50! Okay, it's only a dollar fifty, but for a lot us, every penny counts. 

  And more importantly, it's the principle of the matter. They literally had a $50 bill waiting to be used. 

  As this person recalls, "I ask why is the amount incorrect and she says oh "We had a 3% surcharge for credit cards."

• 
  via Nathana Rebouças

  Woman taps a credit card to pay for a bill.

  _{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}

• Understandably irritating. This person was aware how they might come off, sharing that, “I'm a pretty easy going guy and don't like to get all Karen toward service providers but I told her that I need to voice my opinion as a customer. I said I'm not taking this out on you personally but your company's policy is absolutely infuriating.”

  Agreed! 

  Now, the receptionist here tried to explain that it's the little tablet's fault. It's the company that provides those machines that is charging an extra fee. 

  But she's acting like there's no choice for the customer, when in reality, the choice has already been made. The establishment could eat the cost for the customer, but they're not doing that. They're passing the cost along to the customer, which is, unequivocally, making a choice about how they're treating their clientelle. 

• 
  via Ludovic Migneault

  Customer considers how to pay for transaction.

  _{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}

• So now, this person tells the receptionist that they are at an impasse:

  “She just keeps holding the card machine toward me with the $51.50 total. I told her I'm going to leave and she can bill me and she said okay fine. I'm sure it's going to be much better for them to have to mail out a bill and then receive a paper check in the mail which then they have to take to the bank.”

  Malicious compliance at it's finest! 

  Depending what state this person is in, it may be legal to not accept cash, but it's possible that this establishment is bending the rules. And in that case, were this customer so inclined, they could try to fix that. 

  Other people had advice for them:

  
  Big_Platform1359

  Bruh that combo of “no cash” and “card surcharge” is insane, especially at a doctor’s office. If you legally accept cash and I’m literally handing you exact payment, I’m not eating extra fees because your office chose the most cursed tablet setup possible. Walking out and making them bill you was 100 percent the move 😂

   

  kingharis

  Check whether this is illegal in your state. In some states, you can only charge a surcharge on credit cards if there is a non-surcharge option. Otherwise they need to just eat the credit card fee or, presumably, just charge more to cover it.

  ETA, since there are comments about this: in some states is has to be cash (technically "legal tender"), and in some states cash or money order, not checks or debit cards which require bank accounts. The reasoning is to prevent businesses from discouraging poorer customers who don't have these accounts.

   

  Vast-Combination4046

  NY just made a law about this. All businesses must accept cash

• 
  via rupixen

  Customer using credit card to pay for purchase.

  _{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}

• Let's hope that this person doesn't have to deal with such an irritating system again! It's an inconvenience for everyone involved… If only they'd just take that $50 bill and call it a day. 

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