Would You Pass Up A Discount On An Item Just To Pay With A Credit Card?

Now that Visa and MasterCard have settled a major lawsuit with retailers, opening the door to let stores tack on surcharges for customers using credit cards, some big businesses are considering offering a discount to those paying with cash.

Kroger is reportedly one such chain said to be mulling over the idea of rewarding customers for paying with cash, in the form of a 2% discount to those customers.

According to the terms of the settlement, the surcharge passed on to customers by the retailers can only be as much as the credit card company charges the retailer per swipe. If there is a credit card surcharge, it must be disclosed at the point of entry, point of sale and on the receipt.

While it remains to be seen exactly which retailers will be adding surcharges, some are already vowing not to. Stores like L.L. Bean don’t see the need to offer cash discounts, as it says there won’t be any surcharges passed on to their customers.

“Shopping with a credit card is a convenience for our customers and is an important part of our customer service,” a L.L. Bean spokeswoman told the New York Times. “We have absolutely no plans to add a surcharge for credit card purchases.”

Many shoppers do like the convenience of swiping or tapping their cards, but would a cash discount convince you to give up your beloved plastic?

Would You Pay More to Charge It? [New York Times]

Kroger Mulls 2 Percent Discount For Paying With Cash[CBS 4 Denver]

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