Cash Discount

[rah]

I was in a store the other day and the women in front of me was holding out her wallet with cash in hand and the clerk told her the charge and she pulled out a credit card. At this point the clerk quoted her a slightly higher price and the woman asked why the price went up. The clerk said it was because he thought she was paying in cash and there was a cash discount. The woman got upset saying that they shouldn't charge more if using a credit card. The clerk said that wasn't the case. The credit card price was the normal price. But if you paid in cash you got a discount. The woman thought about it for a second and they looked up and said. "Ok that's different then". I tried not to break out laughing.

So traditionally credit card surcharges have been resisted in the market due to customer reactions. Do you think a cash discount is a valid way around a customer backlash.

Is a cash discount fair in your opinion?

Do you think it will catch on?

IF so, will it reverse the downward trend of cash transactions?

I would like to see more of this.

[SlowwHand]

The fact that 1/2 of all cashiers can't count out change makes me against it.

[rah]

I would say that the cashiers up north are smarter, but that's not the point here so I'll avoid the obvious troll.

Would you use cash more if they offered a discount?

[Jon Miller]

I was in a store the other day and the women in front of me was holding out her wallet with cash in hand and the clerk told her the charge and she pulled out a credit card. At this point the clerk quoted her a slightly higher price and the woman asked why the price went up. The clerk said it was because he thought she was paying in cash and there was a cash discount. The woman got upset saying that they shouldn't charge more if using a credit card. The clerk said that wasn't the case. The credit card price was the normal price. But if you paid in cash you got a discount. The woman thought about it for a second and they looked up and said. "Ok that's different then". I tried not to break out laughing.

So traditionally credit card surcharges have been resisted in the market due to customer reactions. Do you think a cash discount is a valid way around a customer backlash.

Is a cash discount fair in your opinion?

Do you think it will catch on?

IF so, will it reverse the downward trend of cash transactions?

I would like to see more of this.

My grandfather expects there to be a cash discount often, and asks if there is one (and has for years).

I pretty much never use cash.

JM

[SlowwHand]

I would say that the cashiers up north are smarter, but that's not the point here so I'll avoid the obvious troll.

Would you use cash more if they offered a discount?

I already try to use cash. I don't like paper trails.

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm the same as Slowwy.

I love the idea of a cash discount. If a store offers me a cash discount, then I'll be more likely to come back and continue to be a patron.

[The Mad Monk]

I always try to use credit. I don't like germ trails.

[Al B. Sure!]

Interesting how they swap the credit card use surchage into being a standard and turn cash into a discount...

However, I've found very few places (usually only Chinese-run family establishments) that charge to use a credit card or require a minimum purchase to use a card. As an AMEX customer, however, I have been refused and had to use other cards, though.

And no, I never use cash.

[rah]

I too try to avoid a paper trail. I guess I'm just an old fart.
But I will use my CC to pay for insurance and other transactions that are already tracked just for the rewards.

I think a cash discount is fair since prices have been raised to accommodate the expected CC fees to the merchants.

[SlowwHand]

I always try to use credit. I don't like germ trails.

Cards are run through the machines all day. The cards were touched by people just like the money was touched. Invalid response!

[Zoetstofzoetje]

Credit card companies charge up to 3% per transaction. So a cash "discount" is reasonable.

[rah]

While in general I agree, now that they've switch to self swiping, I bet it's not as bad as it used to be in that regards.

[rah]

Credit card companies charge up to 3% per transaction. So a cash "discount" is reasonable.

When merchants originally tried to recoup that with a CC surcharge the original customer anger made them reconsider it. And as a result you don't see it much today. Merchants just tweeked their prices to make up for it. Would rephrasing it as a CASH discount make it more palatable to consumers.

[C0ckney]

i always use cash. i also (almost) always ask for cash discounts.

[rah]

i always use cash. i also (almost) always ask for cash discounts.

Do you routinely get them?