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Joe Stocks

06/04/04 3:29 PM

#253429 RE: mainehiker #253418

OT- MH- Fuuny you should ask. I was just talking to someone earlier in the week on that. Our credit card to other payment forms currently sits at about 67%. That's up from 64% last year and 59% in 2002. Back in 1999 it was running about 45% and we started growing from there. We saw a big surge in 2000.
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Elroy Jetson

06/04/04 3:39 PM

#253438 RE: mainehiker #253418

I wonder how the ratio of cash to credit card sales would change if the cash price were less.

I'm sure many have credit cards like my Bank One Visa (soon to be JP Morgan) which pays a 1% rebate on all purchases up to $60k per year. An annual $600 check, plus not having to deal with change, is enough for me to prefer charging even my groceries. The balance is deducted automatically each month from my checking account.

Since I assume Visa charges merchants roughly 2% for each charge, wouldn't most businesses come out ahead by offering a 1% or so discount for cash.

Does the contract with Visa prohibit this?



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kanuti

06/04/04 4:04 PM

#253469 RE: mainehiker #253418

Excuse me for butting in here but there is another side to the use of credit cards, at least in my circumstance. In the past five years I have almost exclusively switched from cash and checks to credit cards, amongst the reasons are:

1) Credit cards are accepted many more places now
2) Am not constantly stopping by the bank to withdraw cash
3) Writing a check takes longer and showing a variety of ID's is a hassle
4) Many places around here will no longer even take a personal check
5) No longer have to purchase checks or quantity purchased is much less
6) Use to be using a credit card for small amounts was frowned upon in many establishments, now no one cares
7) Some banks have check writing fees
8) Most of my routine monthly bills are automatically charged to a credit card (electricity, phone, internet, newspaper etc) has brought the monthly bill paying sessions to almost zero time
9) Record keeping is simplified
10) Rewards of some sort from the credit card company
11) Ease of paying the credit card bill on line
12) Some purchases warranty time is extended by the credit card company
13) Majority of cashiers do not know how to count back change

I imagine there is a lot of consumers out there that are using credit unwisely but suspect many others are using them for the convenience and treating them like cash.