Eating out no longer worth it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Restaurants also charge 2.8%-3% of ‘admin fees’ for credit card payments here in the south. I think this is new? Hopefully we won’t see this for a while back on DC metro.

Visa and MasterCard charge every business 3% on their transactions, so in these cases it’s being passed on to the consumer. Amex charges even more - 5% (or more).

its illegal to pass this on to the customer its part of the credit card agreement. 3% is minimal when considering the accounting savings

How do you report restaurants passing on the charge to customers?

Restaurants, dentist, my nail salon, if it’s illegal how come they’re all doing it?

[Anonymous]

The extra charges for credit cards are irritating. I thought that was something we used to consider the cost of doing business. I really wish they would just build it in to their already high prices. I’m still paying it, but I won’t feel as disgruntled. Seems grubby to me.

[Anonymous]

We only eat out now for special occasions or socializing. I want my teens to know how to dine in a fine restaurant, but it’s really a huge financial investment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Restaurants also charge 2.8%-3% of ‘admin fees’ for credit card payments here in the south. I think this is new? Hopefully we won’t see this for a while back on DC metro.

Visa and MasterCard charge every business 3% on their transactions, so in these cases it’s being passed on to the consumer. Amex charges even more - 5% (or more).

its illegal to pass this on to the customer its part of the credit card agreement. 3% is minimal when considering the accounting savings

How do you report restaurants passing on the charge to customers?

Restaurants, dentist, my nail salon, if it’s illegal how come they’re all doing it?

It’s legal to do so in most states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The extra charges for credit cards are irritating. I thought that was something we used to consider the cost of doing business. I really wish they would just build it in to their already high prices. I’m still paying it, but I won’t feel as disgruntled. Seems grubby to me.

You can pay cash and save the extra charge.

[Anonymous]

The last time DH and I went out to eat somewhere nice, there was a 3% “employee wellness charge” or some garbage like that on top of the 18% service fee. What a bad way to end a nice meal. Just raise the prices on the menu instead of this trash. I won’t be going back there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The extra charges for credit cards are irritating. I thought that was something we used to consider the cost of doing business. I really wish they would just build it in to their already high prices. I’m still paying it, but I won’t feel as disgruntled. Seems grubby to me.

Pretty sure it’s illegal to charge people for using their credit card. It goes against the agreement the company has with Visa or MC or whoever. Makes sense because people will stop using their cc if it costs more. Cc companies would never agree to that.

I don’t complain when it’s a small business doing low price transactions but I would absolutely tell a restaurant that the charge is illegal and to take it off the bill. Then I wouldn’t return. Dodgy AF.

[Anonymous]

So many restaurants are going to fail. Whenever a restaurant pulls something with us (absurd add on fees, crazy increased prices, tiny portions, expectation of big tips despite providing terrible service, etc.) we just vow never to return. Treat us fairly and we enjoy the food and experience we'll be devoted repeat customers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The extra charges for credit cards are irritating. I thought that was something we used to consider the cost of doing business. I really wish they would just build it in to their already high prices. I’m still paying it, but I won’t feel as disgruntled. Seems grubby to me.

Pretty sure it’s illegal to charge people for using their credit card. It goes against the agreement the company has with Visa or MC or whoever. Makes sense because people will stop using their cc if it costs more. Cc companies would never agree to that.

I don’t complain when it’s a small business doing low price transactions but I would absolutely tell a restaurant that the charge is illegal and to take it off the bill. Then I wouldn’t return. Dodgy AF.

No, it’s legal in most states. They just need to tell you in advance that they are charging this.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/verify-can-you-be-charged-a-convenience-fee-for-using-a-credit-card/65-480204019#

I have a small business and offer a 3% cash discount to my clients.

[Anonymous]

Went to Stone Tower Winery this summer and got an extra charge for “the guys out there picking the grapes,” as explained by the dude serving wine by the glass at the counter. Last time I go there!

[Anonymous]

So many of these extra charges are framed in a way to play off customer guilt. Like adding a charge for "the guys out their picking the grapes" is explicitly designed to make someone who is sitting there drinking wine feel bad about the hard labor that went into the wine and therefore pay more for it. Same with "employee wellness charges" or fees that are explained/justified as paying for employee benefits.

The fees that are justified for the business are also about guilt, and are often framed as "we're just a struggling small business, we need to charge this extra amount to get by." The Covid-charges really pushed these to a new level and I think a lot of small (and some not so small) businesses got in the habit of making this kind of "poor us" appeal to customers.

There are multiple problems with this but the biggest is that a business cannot do this on a permanent basis. Sure, on a short-term one off, loyal customers won't have a huge problem paying extra to help a business they like support their employees, or recover from an unforeseeable disaster, whether that's Covid or a fire. But it cannot be your permanent state because at some point people are like "get it together." It's a for profit business, not a non-profit or a family member. Your customers are not engaging in charity. Figure out how to structure your business so you an compensate and provide benefits for your employees as appropriate for your industry and business model, and don't turn it into some kind of charitable act via a special fee. After a crisis like Covid, it's understandable that a business might take time to get back on it's feet but at some point it's sink or swim -- either your model is successful or not, and passing the collection plate years later just feels manipulative. Maybe you should go out of business if it's this hard, you know?

I'm not a callous person but we're talking about commerce here. And I'm a person with my own problems -- it's not like the small businesses I patronize are helping me out when I have a childcare crisis or when my own business hits a snag. So this idea that I must always be giving them extra to help them doesn't make sense. As a one off, for a business I really like and want to stay open, sure. On a permanent basis? No, figure it out. If I can't write it off as a charitable donation, it's not charity. You just want more of my money to deliver the same thing (or often, less).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to Stone Tower Winery this summer and got an extra charge for “the guys out there picking the grapes,” as explained by the dude serving wine by the glass at the counter. Last time I go there!

WTF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many restaurants are going to fail. Whenever a restaurant pulls something with us (absurd add on fees, crazy increased prices, tiny portions, expectation of big tips despite providing terrible service, etc.) we just vow never to return. Treat us fairly and we enjoy the food and experience we'll be devoted repeat customers.

I’m thinking this too.

And for the love of good, serve good food! Stop putting a head of cauliflower on a cheeseboard. Stop serving nasty charred Brussel sprouts with bacon. Stop serving flatbreads or pizzas with sausage and mushrooms and fennel pollen. Avocado toast? Truffle fries? Kale salad?

These restaurants serve the same menu, no imagination, no care goes into it. It’s a formula and I’m not interested. I hope they all close!

[Anonymous]

I almost never eat out anymore.

For health reasons I’ve modified my diet recently and almost exclusively home cook. Even when I do want to indulge, I have a few fantastic recipes that come out better than restaurant quality when prepped at home and are far more economical. My prior eating out habit was all about the food not the experience, so now that I’ve taught myself a few terrific meals I just don’t need to go out.

Even my regular meals are more wonderful recently, I taught myself to make a few really tasty nutrient dense meals which I eat in rotation with raw veggies and fruits - my particular favorites are my spinach, sun dried tomato and garlic quiche that I start each day with and my curry which is chicken, sweet peppers, onions, garlic, dark chana and kale in a tomato based sauce. It’s so healthful and tasty and for all the dining out Indian I’ve had over the years my own curry really measures up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The extra charges for credit cards are irritating. I thought that was something we used to consider the cost of doing business. I really wish they would just build it in to their already high prices. I’m still paying it, but I won’t feel as disgruntled. Seems grubby to me.

Pretty sure it’s illegal to charge people for using their credit card. It goes against the agreement the company has with Visa or MC or whoever. Makes sense because people will stop using their cc if it costs more. Cc companies would never agree to that.

I don’t complain when it’s a small business doing low price transactions but I would absolutely tell a restaurant that the charge is illegal and to take it off the bill. Then I wouldn’t return. Dodgy AF.

No, it’s legal in most states. They just need to tell you in advance that they are charging this.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/verify-can-you-be-charged-a-convenience-fee-for-using-a-credit-card/65-480204019#

I have a small business and offer a 3% cash discount to my clients.

You are not discounting anything--you are charging your cc customers a 3% fee.