another day, another 'is that your soap' question...

[ProblemAgain]

These illegal debit card fees just won't die

Some convenience stores and gas stations are still dinging users. Minimum purchase amounts are also no-nos.

By Aimee Picchi 6 hours ago

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Some gas stations, convenience stores and other merchants are illegally charging fees for debit card users, as well as putting minimum purchase amounts on customers who use the bank cards, according to a new report. 

A January settlement of a class-action lawsuit allowed merchants to start adding "checkout fees" on customers who pay with credit cards, but it exempted debit card users. Despite this, some merchants still hit debit card users, GoBankingRates.com reports.

Ten states -- California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas -- actually prohibit surcharges for credit card users, but that can be a gray area. For instance, gas stations sometimes offer cash discounts. While that's not adding a charge for credit card users, it still effectively dings them when compared with cash customers. 

Another familiar annoyance is when a cash register informs you that the store has a minimum purchase amount, prompting many shoppers to pick up a few items just to hit that figure. But it turns out that both Visa (V +1.79%) and MasterCard (MA +1.91%) have stated that minimums can't be imposed on debit cards, according to GoBankingRates.com. 

That's likely to be news to most folks. (The minimum can be applied to credit cards, though.)

So what should you do if you've been charged an illegal fee? If you live in one of those states that outlaw credit card processing fees, Visa encourages you to report the retailer to your state attorney general's office. 

Consumers hit with minimum purchases or surcharges on debit cards should also call the customer service number on the back of their cards, the report says. That's because banks that issue the cards will report violations to Visa or MasterCard.

[Wayne Goodwin]

We have stations here that add 50 cents to each customer that buys gas using Credit or Debit . I only pay cash at those places . Most are run by People of Indian accent with that jewel in center of head .