Credit Card Fees Now Everywhere!

[Anonymous]

American Express cash back card has no fees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Credit card points should be illegal and cc fees should be capped at a low percentage.

Why should points be illegal?

Points should be illegal and I don't understand why so many people use them. For one thing, there is no guarantee that they will hold their value. My bank just sent me a letter saying that points are now worth $200 per 20,000 instead of $250, or something similar. When the bank (or airline!) can arbitrarily change their value, it puts the consumer at risk and allows the bank to encourage people to use their card with the promise of a certain amount of return but not give that return.

That’s why the name of the game is “earn and burn!” There is a fairly high barrier to entry in the points game in the form of knowledge and understanding of the way it all works and how to maximize value. It’s like planning a trip to Disney World. It takes a lot of time to maximize it. I would consider myself intermediate/advanced at both, but it’s essentially a part-time job, with the amount of time I spend on points redemption and travel planning. I save a ton of money and we do take awesome trips though. But I consider it fun and I don’t really have other hobbies.

I love it and take advantage of it all the time. Keep your credit excellent and educate yourself with all these points and how to earn them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of small businesses that don't charge a fee for cc, just build the cost of the fee into their pricing.

This has always been the best way, or to offer a discount for cash.

Dumb consumers tend to get mad at a business owner passing the CC cost on to the customer, but what do they expect them to do, lose money because a customer is too lazy to use cash? Best to just hide the fees in the cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A lot of small businesses that don't charge a fee for cc, just build the cost of the fee into their pricing.


This has always been the best way, or to offer a discount for cash.

Dumb consumers tend to get mad at a business owner passing the CC cost on to the customer, but what do they expect them to do, lose money because a customer is too lazy to use cash? Best to just hide the fees in the cost.

This post is about how the business is charging a fee for using a cc. If it's best to hide the fees in the cost, why aren't the businesses doing that? This is not about the "dumb consumers" behavior . . . the post is about the behavior of the businesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of small businesses that don't charge a fee for cc, just build the cost of the fee into their pricing.

This has always been the best way, or to offer a discount for cash.

Dumb consumers tend to get mad at a business owner passing the CC cost on to the customer, but what do they expect them to do, lose money because a customer is too lazy to use cash? Best to just hide the fees in the cost.

Cash comes with its own costs. You have to pay employees to make bank runs, or arrange for secure trucks to deliver your change and take your cash deposits. “Shrinkage” is real. Employees can’t count, bills stick to each other, counterfeits are very good, and the banks screw up the coming or going all the time.

There is simply no cost free way to do business. None.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A lot of small businesses that don't charge a fee for cc, just build the cost of the fee into their pricing.


This has always been the best way, or to offer a discount for cash.

Dumb consumers tend to get mad at a business owner passing the CC cost on to the customer, but what do they expect them to do, lose money because a customer is too lazy to use cash? Best to just hide the fees in the cost.

This post is about how the business is charging a fee for using a cc. If it's best to hide the fees in the cost, why aren't the businesses doing that? This is not about the "dumb consumers" behavior . . . the post is about the behavior of the businesses.

+1 the smart consumers will pay cash or check to avoid the 3% fee for using a convenient credit card. Credit cards were "free", convenient and safe. Once they are not, consumers won't be incentivized to use them.

The dumb consumers who like points will pay the fees, pay 3% at the purchase and inflate their bills, because they get 1% in points on the other end. So throwing away 2%. So stupid.

[Anonymous]

My son's music lessons just enforced this and I switched to paying with my debit card (its automatic monthly so no cash option). I haven't seen it too many other places. But I would use debit or cash if I did see it.

I still write checks for some bills and mail them in too. Not many but some.

I think it's fine for businesses to charge what they need to cover fees and consumers can adapt. There are still many many transactions that dont charge fees and I bring in about $100/month in cash back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of small businesses that don't charge a fee for cc, just build the cost of the fee into their pricing.

This has always been the best way, or to offer a discount for cash.

Dumb consumers tend to get mad at a business owner passing the CC cost on to the customer, but what do they expect them to do, lose money because a customer is too lazy to use cash? Best to just hide the fees in the cost.

Cash comes with its own costs. You have to pay employees to make bank runs, or arrange for secure trucks to deliver your change and take your cash deposits. “Shrinkage” is real. Employees can’t count, bills stick to each other, counterfeits are very good, and the banks screw up the coming or going all the time.

There is simply no cost free way to do business. None.

businesses prefer cash to do tax fraud, there should be a law of junk fees that does not let businesses charge differently for card or cash etc its really annoying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Credit card points should be illegal and cc fees should be capped at a low percentage.

Why should points be illegal?

Points should be illegal and I don't understand why so many people use them. For one thing, there is no guarantee that they will hold their value. My bank just sent me a letter saying that points are now worth $200 per 20,000 instead of $250, or something similar. When the bank (or airline!) can arbitrarily change their value, it puts the consumer at risk and allows the bank to encourage people to use their card with the promise of a certain amount of return but not give that return.

That’s why the name of the game is “earn and burn!” There is a fairly high barrier to entry in the points game in the form of knowledge and understanding of the way it all works and how to maximize value. It’s like planning a trip to Disney World. It takes a lot of time to maximize it. I would consider myself intermediate/advanced at both, but it’s essentially a part-time job, with the amount of time I spend on points redemption and travel planning. I save a ton of money and we do take awesome trips though. But I consider it fun and I don’t really have other hobbies.

Even if you don't "use it fast", points are beneficial. Most places (except a few smaller businesses) do not offer a cash discount/charge more for using the CC. So between that and convenience, if I'm going to use a card, I'm going to get something back, if they offer it.
Why not?

I put my new roof on 2 credit cards a few years ago. The company didn't charge me more (and didn't offer a "cash/check" discount), so I spread the $50K+ across 2 cards and earned my perks. It would be dumb not to (I had the $$ to pay it off)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of small businesses that don't charge a fee for cc, just build the cost of the fee into their pricing.

So if you pay "cash" you are still paying. So might as well get your points/$$ back from your daily purhcases

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Used to just be a cost of doing business.
I
I'd rather receive a cash discount and have the fees rolled in.

Yes, why don’t they all do it this way? Same thing but better messaging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel increasingly annoyed at the 3% credit card fees being levied by retailers, the doctor's office, contractors doing work in my home, etc. Everyone looking for more money! Is this because of tariffs? To avoid increasing costs on the goods themselves? If I pay cash, it just mitigates the advantages of having the credit cards in the first place with the points and all. I will just get rid of my credit cards.

Just very annoying. Is anyone else seeing a dramatic increase on these? Are you using your debit cards more instead?

No.

It's to mitigate the transaction costs that the vendor is paying. Once the trend took hold, no stopping.

[Anonymous]

When possible, I pay with cash/check/debit card. If a restaurant adds mandatory service charge, then I subtract it from the tip. Because in 2025, tips are essentially tax free. "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA), allows workers to claim a federal income tax deduction of up to $25,000 annually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of small businesses that don't charge a fee for cc, just build the cost of the fee into their pricing.

This has always been the best way, or to offer a discount for cash.

Dumb consumers tend to get mad at a business owner passing the CC cost on to the customer, but what do they expect them to do, lose money because a customer is too lazy to use cash? Best to just hide the fees in the cost.

Cash comes with its own costs. You have to pay employees to make bank runs, or arrange for secure trucks to deliver your change and take your cash deposits. “Shrinkage” is real. Employees can’t count, bills stick to each other, counterfeits are very good, and the banks screw up the coming or going all the time.

There is simply no cost free way to do business. None.

businesses prefer cash to do tax fraud, there should be a law of junk fees that does not let businesses charge differently for card or cash etc its really annoying

No small businesses prefer cash to avoid paying the CC fees. They can be 100% honest businesses, just trying to survive and not pay 3-4% to the CC companies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Credit card points should be illegal and cc fees should be capped at a low percentage.

Why should points be illegal?

Points should be illegal and I don't understand why so many people use them. For one thing, there is no guarantee that they will hold their value. My bank just sent me a letter saying that points are now worth $200 per 20,000 instead of $250, or something similar. When the bank (or airline!) can arbitrarily change their value, it puts the consumer at risk and allows the bank to encourage people to use their card with the promise of a certain amount of return but not give that return.

That’s why the name of the game is “earn and burn!” There is a fairly high barrier to entry in the points game in the form of knowledge and understanding of the way it all works and how to maximize value. It’s like planning a trip to Disney World. It takes a lot of time to maximize it. I would consider myself intermediate/advanced at both, but it’s essentially a part-time job, with the amount of time I spend on points redemption and travel planning. I save a ton of money and we do take awesome trips though. But I consider it fun and I don’t really have other hobbies.

Even if you don't "use it fast", points are beneficial. Most places (except a few smaller businesses) do not offer a cash discount/charge more for using the CC. So between that and convenience, if I'm going to use a card, I'm going to get something back, if they offer it.
Why not?

I put my new roof on 2 credit cards a few years ago. The company didn't charge me more (and didn't offer a "cash/check" discount), so I spread the $50K+ across 2 cards and earned my perks. It would be dumb not to (I had the $$ to pay it off)

I think you were overcharged. Just put a new roof on our 4700sf house and it was $16k. We got 3 quotes and all were similar.