3% in New Hampshire

[WFM]

Just recently I've noticed that when I shop New Hampshire and pay with a credit card they charge a 3% fee. My nephew a stone mason stopped today and the brick yard had charged him 3% when picking up a order. So cash only for him and myself when shopping in the other Massachusetts.
Does other states do this same thing ?

 

[bobnic]

Just recently I've noticed that when I shop New Hampshire and pay with a credit card they charge a 3% fee. My nephew a stone mason stopped today and the brick yard had charged him 3% when picking up a order. So cash only for him and myself when shopping in the other Massachusetts.
Does other states do this same thing ?

Unlike the 5.5% sales tax in your state (Maine) NH has no state sales tax. A very small minority of small retailers, regardless of the state they are in, try to recover the fee they are charged for accepting credit cards. Maine is much closer to being the other Massachusetts than NH for a number of reasons.

 

[WFM]

My reasoning for the other Massachusetts is visit NH on any day of the week 50% of the cars are from Massachusetts.
Maine is the other California by the way.
The highest taxed in the country #2 to Cally itself and anything goes here with the liberal government we have have , use dope freely or marry a tree...it's what some think is acceptable.

 

[bobnic]

My reasoning for the other Massachusetts is visit NH on any day of the week 50% of the cars are from Massachusetts.
Maine is the other California by the way.
The highest taxed in the country #2 to Cally itself and anything goes here with the liberal government we have have , use dope freely or marry a tree...it's what some think is acceptable.

I can't disagree with any of that.

By the way, if you are the WFM I think you are, I bought a maple syrup evaporator from you 9 years ago. Excellent construction, we've been very happy with it.

 

[RCW]

The 3% is due to the charge to the vendor for credit card transactions.

Has no bearing on the state's Sales Tax or other state fees.

Seems to be a common thing with some vendors in recent years. For years, the vendor/retailer would eat the 3%. They don't want to do that anymore.

An equipment auction company I like to frequent has a standard 10% Buyer's Premium, but it's 13% if buying with a credit card....

(I only buy a hot dog, so doesn't affect me.)

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

My reasoning for the other Massachusetts is visit NH on any day of the week 50% of the cars are from Massachusetts.
Maine is the other California by the way.
The highest taxed in the country #2 to Cally itself and anything goes here with the liberal government we have have , use dope freely or marry a tree...it's what some think is acceptable.

When one marries a tree and there comes a fork in the relationship or maybe the two grow apart, do you have go to an arborist for counseling or does the tree just leave? Or perhaps the tree just leaves out and finds another feller?

(I am sorry, I could not help myself…I’ll leave this thread now)

 

[Scm]

Just recently I've noticed that when I shop New Hampshire and pay with a credit card they charge a 3% fee. My nephew a stone mason stopped today and the brick yard had charged him 3% when picking up a order. So cash only for him and myself when shopping in the other Massachusetts.
Does other states do this same thing ?

Just moved to MO from NH and almost everyone here charges a 3% "convenience" fee for using a CREDIT card. There is not supposed to be a fee added to DEBIT card transactions.

Maine is the other California by the way.

Sign the Petition

Make Two States Out of Maine

www.change.org

 

[85Hokie]

Just recently I've noticed that when I shop New Hampshire and pay with a credit card they charge a 3% fee. My nephew a stone mason stopped today and the brick yard had charged him 3% when picking up a order. So cash only for him and myself when shopping in the other Massachusetts.
Does other states do this same thing ?

same here in many places - VA

 

[Botamon]

A credit card surcharge was pretty rare around here a year ago. Pretty common now. Also - used to be there was no difference when buying fuel (gas or diesel) whether paying cash or using a card at the pump. Now it is the norm. Usually ~ 10 cents a gallon more expensive to use a card.

So now the gas stations/convenience stores will have a lot more cash on hand and I won't be surprised that armed robberies of them increase also.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

The 3 percent will continue as long as the CC companies charge it and the retailers pass it to you, and we accept it.

The CC companies make interest on your purchase if you don't pay it off every month.

Small retailers charge the fee, and when they do, I go elsewhere. Or pay in cash.

 

[armylifer]

Retailers here in my neck of the woods started charging the 3% fee for credit card use a couple of years ago. My wife and I always ask retailers now if there is a fee for using a credit card. Some charge a flat fee and some charge a percentage. Some do not charge at all. If they charge we use cash to pay, or (rarely) use a debit card.

When we buy gas and the price per gallon is higher than the cash price I still use the credit card because I get more cash back from the credit card than the extra dime per gallon. Gas out here where I live is $4.599 per gallon for cash and $4.699 for credit card. I get 3% cash back from my credit card for buying gas. So when gas is as expensive as it is now, I actually make money by using the credit card even after the 10 cents per gallon they tack on for using credit.

 

[NCL4701]

Whether credit card or debit card, the surcharge charged to retailer by the third party processor (VISA, etc.) being passed on to buyer using a card isn’t universal here but it’s far from unusual. Not the big chains, usually smaller local restaurants and retailers. No surcharge for cash or EFT. Of course EFT isn’t exactly handy for one off point of sale transactions; more for repetitive stuff like paying the electric bill.

Used to use credit card whenever possible due to cash back. Cash back is consistently 1/2 point less than surcharge. We’re starting to carry cash again.

For gas/diesel, wife has both Sam’s Club membership and Walmart+. Sam’s consistently has the lowest gas prices, usually by a good bit. Walmart+ gives significant discounts at Exxon and Murphy stations; usually below cash discount IME despite the payment being linked to a credit card. Setting up an account and paying via app with BP offers good discounts as well. Of course you have to set up the account on your phone and pay via the app. Once it’s set up, it’s about as easy as using a card at the pump and way easier than walking inside to stand in line to pay a human at a register. Plus since the phone app payment accounts are linked to a credit card we still get the cash back credit from the bank further reducing net cost.

 

[Scm]

I say keep using your CREDIT (fiat) cards. 3% is a deal for fixing the problem. The quicker the economic collapse, the quicker we can get over it and go back to something better.

 

[dirtydeed]

I have no real issue being charged 3% when customers use a credit card to pay me. I get the $ instantly instead of waiting (hoping) that their check wont bounce. There are very few that pay me in cash for the jobs that I do.

 

[jimh406]

Businesses have been charging extra for CC for a long time. The first place I saw it was at a gun store.

Frankly, I feel like it's a way to avoid raising their prices. I can kind of see it for items like guns that can be pretty competitive on price. For almost anything else, I think it's just a lazy way to make the 3% without bothering.

I'd like to see businesses charge more for cash and check due to the annoyance factor. Either the customer doesn't know how to count/be ready to pay or the cashier doesn't know how to make change. . Same thing for checks. However, it's not like I make that many transactions.

On the other hand, many gas stations give you a discount for using their loyalty programs. AFAIK, there isn't any way to set it up without a CC. So, kind of odd that one type of business is encouraging CC and others are discouraging it.

Arbitrary business decisions are fun.

 

[lynnmor]

It could be worse: video

 

[Scm]

think it's just a lazy way to make the 3% without bothering.

The 3% goes straight to the CC companies. Someone has to pay for those "rewards"

 

[Scm]

It could be worse: video

Worse for who?

Upside CEO: I’ve analyzed the profit margins of 30,000 gas stations. Here's the proof fuel retailers are not to blame for high gas prices | Fortune

Rewards company Upside says its data shows fuel retailers aren't to blame for high prices at the pump.

fortune.com