AM/PM, ARCO As Well As All Convenience Stores In California State According to California Civil Code Section 1748.1, it is ILLEGAL to charge consumers a surcharge for the use of thier credit cards. This includes DEBIT cards which is notoriously LESS expensive for the merchant to accept! ALL CITIES California

California Residents need to wake up and smell the coffee! As a recent transplant from Massachusetts State, I found it odd when I moved here last September and found local and statewide merchants charging me just because I was using my debit/credit cards instead of paying by cash.

I began looking into it and YES, according to California Code Section 1748.1, it is illegal for them to do this. I'm not going to recite the entire code....just google 'California Civil Code Section 1748.1' and READ.

Aside from this fancy fact, Mastercard Worldwide's website dictates the same on thier Merchant agreement. It's a mad epidemic here in California.

...And to the those merchants who I have told this information to...I say again..."Buddy, its the cost of doing business...the credit card provider has increased your business by 50-80%..nothing is free" It's funny really most of these ignorant merchants say "Visa and Mastercard charges me 15 cents on the dollar..." Well, I say to them "What would you do if those priveledges were taken away, your stealing from your customers."

...And I say to the residents of California State "Stand up for your rights and DO NOT patronize stores that charge you." Didn't it ever occur to you that there is a reason why ALL stores don't gouge this way???

I don't know about you but I tip with good service...when I've been served. It's the merchant that should tip me for patronizing his store!

Tracy
California City, California
U.S.A.