Prices continue to rise

[TLS Guy]

I have not noticed that. So how else do the restaurants want you to pay them? Cash?

If you use your bank card and not your credit card this will not happen. The businesses pay the credit card fee, so their bill is discounted. With a bank card they get the full reimbursement.

 

[mono-bloc]

In Australia debit cards are the way to go. At the moment I run three cards, One for direct deposit, One for internet sales and one for general use
Many retail business here won't except cash. The only time I use cash is for my fire wood supplier and the lady that clips my dog. And really it's
a pain, sorting out the correct amount. There are no charges for debit card use.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

If you use your bank card and not your credit card this will not happen. The businesses pay the credit card fee, so their bill is discounted. With a bank card they get the full reimbursement.

I haven’t seen a restaurant in OKC that charges fees for using any CC yet. Fingers crossed.

 

[Trell]

For consumer credit cards and debit cards an EU regulation since 2015 caps the interchange fees at, respectively, 0.3% and 0.2% of the transaction value. That was a great thing, in my opinion, as these high transaction fees are parasitic.

After that a credit card have much fever benefits given by the issuer. I still use a credit card for buying stuff on internet for protection as I live in Sweden having a Swedish issuer: Using the card is like taking a consumer loan and if I don't get what I bought I can then go to the issuer of the credit card. With a debit card I'm on my own.

 

[Mikado463]

Many small, local restaurants here already did that, as the cost to them vs. a chain is out of their pocket.

what?? Cali perhaps but nowhere else that I know of, the cost (percentage) on a CC is the same. Perhaps I'm missing something in your post ?

 

[j_garcia]

what?? Cali perhaps but nowhere else that I know of, the cost (percentage) on a CC is the same. Perhaps I'm missing something in your post ?

Yes, local, as in around here. In SF it is an actual approved surcharge allowed for health care costs for workers. A Cali law banned "junk" surcharges on your bill with no explanation. SF then added an ordinance to allow a health care cost surcharge because they were unable to retain workers.

The change started with a number of businesses who gave a better price for cash vs. card because they avoid the fees of the credit card services. At some point, that flipped to companies just passing that cost to the consumer.

*edit. Recently, we've noticed some new international chains, usually food spots, don't accept cash at all.

 

[Mikado463]

Yes, local, as in around here. In SF it is an actual approved surcharge allowed for health care costs for workers. A Cali law banned "junk" surcharges on your bill with no explanation. SF then added an ordinance to allow a health care cost surcharge because they were unable to retain workers.

The change started with a number of businesses who gave a better price for cash vs. card because they avoid the fees of the credit card services. At some point, that flipped to companies just passing that cost to the consumer.

*edit. Recently, we've noticed some new international chains, usually food spots, don't accept cash at all.

your last sentence reminds me of this past April with my experience in Seattle trying to buy a cup of 'pour-over' coffee. As I stated earlier, had to go to a third coffee shop to find one that would take cash !

 

[Trell]

your last sentence reminds me of this past April with my experience in Seattle trying to buy a cup of 'pour-over' coffee. As I stated earlier, had to go to a third coffee shop to find one that would take cash !

Using cash is getting harder in Sweden as well, but there are push-back from the Swedish Central Bank on this, among others. The core of the push-back is security and vulnerability of only online payments systems, with no fallback.

 

[little wing]

I like the cash back I get with my capital one credit card. It's up to almost $400 bucks right now! Plus, if some worm gets a hold of your information, it's easier to deal with a fraud situation, with a credit card, then it is with a debit card. It least I found that to be the case.

All I know is, it's not getting any easier for a lot of people to make a decent living. Let alone allocate big money for electronics. My property taxes, homeowners Insurance, health Insurance, utilities have all gone up. food is crazy expensive. Everything is up. So my forever speakers and amps are put on hold for now. And my job just told us, no raises for the third year in a row..

My brother has a beautiful apartment outside of Philly (in Hatboro PA) and his rent just went up to $1750 a month! He can afford it, but I would lose my mind if I was paying that much in rent. With interest rates over 6.5 %, getting into a house is not easy, if you don't have bunch of cash. Nobody in the white house really cares either. We're on our own, that's the way it's always been.

 

[Trell]

I like the cash back I get with my capital one credit card. It's up to almost $400 bucks right now! Plus, if some worm gets a hold of your information, it's easier to deal with a fraud situation, with a credit card, then it is with a debit card. It least I found that to be the case.

You get cash back because of the parasitic credit card companies with exorbitant fees. Before EU in 2015 capped the credit cards transactional fees to 0.3% for consumers I too enjoined the benefits, if you could pay in full each month, that is. Once the new 0.3% hit my credit card got much less benefits, but I still use the credit card for reasons due to Swedish consumer laws when buying stuff. A consumer credit card has a cap at 0.3%, I no longer feel guilty using a credit card to protect myself from fraudsters.

 

[little wing]

You get cash back because of the parasitic credit card companies with exorbitant fees. Before EU in 2015 capped the credit cards transactional fees to 0.3% for consumers I too enjoined the benefits, if you could pay in full each month, that is. Once the new 0.3% hit my credit card got much less benefits, but I still use the credit card for reasons due to Swedish consumer laws when buying stuff. A consumer credit card has a cap at 0.3%, I no longer feel guilty using a credit card to protect myself from fraudsters.

That's true, yeah, I hate debt, so I've pretty successful at keeping my CC balances in check, although they are creeping up lately...

 

[j_garcia]

Food is definitely where I feel it is most obvious. Typical night out at the restaurant used to be about $50-60 and now it is routinely around $75-100. We got pizza, one salad and drinks and it was just over $100 on Friday.

 

[ryanosaur]

Yes, local, as in around here. In SF it is an actual approved surcharge allowed for health care costs for workers. A Cali law banned "junk" surcharges on your bill with no explanation. SF then added an ordinance to allow a health care cost surcharge because they were unable to retain workers.

The change started with a number of businesses who gave a better price for cash vs. card because they avoid the fees of the credit card services. At some point, that flipped to companies just passing that cost to the consumer.

*edit. Recently, we've noticed some new international chains, usually food spots, don't accept cash at all.

I think CA junked the law banning such fees? I still have stuff showing up like health care and fare wage fees, pre tax being tacked on to my checks in wine country.

 

[ryanosaur]

Ah... here... except paywall...
junk-fee-law-restaurants-exemption

 

[j_garcia]

I think CA junked the law banning such fees? I still have stuff showing up like health care and fare wage fees, pre tax being tacked on to my checks in wine country.

Junk fees states that they have to disclose it all. It can't be lumped into a generic category and they can't conceal what it is for. Generally, the purpose is that they have to give you the total expected cost WITH fees before you commit to a purchase. So it is not that they can't have them, they just can't tell you "this is the price" and it ends up being more after the fact due to previously undisclosed fees.

 

[Trell]

Ah... here... except paywall...
junk-fee-law-restaurants-exemption

You can quote part of the article, though.

 

[Trell]

Food is definitely where I feel it is most obvious. Typical night out at the restaurant used to be about $50-60 and now it is routinely around $75-100. We got pizza, one salad and drinks and it was just over $100 on Friday.

Well, it's unlikely to be caused by the Trump tariffs unless the restaurants import from Europe, that is. Another possible cause is the ICE thugs scaring away the immigrants that compromise over 60% of the agricultural work force.

 

[ryanosaur]

You can quote part of the article, though.

I’m not allowed in.


The state gave restaurants a brief reprieve from the law.

 

[Trell]

I’m not allowed in.


The state gave restaurants a brief reprieve from the law.

This is the first of three parts of the article you linked to.

>>>California lawmakers have given restaurants a last-minute exemption from a statewide law that takes effect July 1 and bans hidden or “junk” fees on goods and services, including hotel rooms, car rentals and event tickets.

That law, Senate Bill 478, would have prohibited restaurants, bars and other food vendors from adding service fees and other surcharges to bills, but on Thursday, the state Senate unanimously approved an emergency measure that would allow restaurants to continue charging the fees. If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate Bill 1524 would take effect immediately.

While supporters of the junk fees bill maintain it will help protect consumers from unexpected expenses, many in the restaurant industry have taken exception with the new law, which they say shouldn’t apply to them.

Restaurateurs argue that service fees and surcharges, usually 3-6% of the final bill but sometimes as much as 20%, are necessary to supplement wages for workers, such as cooks, dishwashers and other staff who don’t receive tips and other gratuities.

“Today we take an important step toward providing consumers with upfront price transparency without inadvertently harming food service workers or small businesses,” said Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, who proposed the SB 1524 carveout for restaurants.

The new bill would require that any fees, including mandatory gratuity, are “displayed conspicuously on restaurant menus,” according to a news release from Sen. Dodd’s office.

In Sonoma County, many restaurant owners and workers have anxiously been awaiting July 1.

On Thursday, some restaurateurs breathed a sigh of relief, saying that restaurant fees are critical to their businesses at a time when prices of raw ingredients continue to soar, staffing remains a challenge, and margins are thinner than ever.

Meanwhile, a few have already opted to forgo surcharges altogether, as well as tipping, with menu prices that include everything except sales tax.
...
<<<

 

[ryanosaur]

Continuing as a side note, many restaurants put these fees before tax is charged, and also expect you to tip on top of the fee. Most of the time this is still an insignificant amount, only changing the tip amount by 1% or so.
On the other hand, as many places are doing the “let us help you tip us” approach of recommending percentages or dollar amounts that you simply check off on the check…

*shrugs

More to the topic at hand is that our inflation is up. And nobody was giving any ground on already increased prices around here.