How many times have you gone to make a small purchase in a store, only to have it brought to your attention that there is a minimum purchase for all credit card transactions? As a consumer who knows maybe a little more than most about credit cards and the rules governing their use, this particular issue tends to peeve me like none other: it’s just a fact that merchants cannot (per the terms of the agreement signed between the merchant and credit card issuer when the merchant agreed to accept those cards) require a minimum amount to be bought before they will accept credit cards as payment. Yet, many stores knowingly flout this rule and put up signs stating that a minimum purchase will be in effect anyway. What choice do you have as a consumer?
You can certainly call your card issuer at the toll-free number on the back of your card and raise a stink about the merchant(s) in violation of their agreement. But it’s unlikely to get you anyway. From what I’ve read of those consumer action columns in my local paper and those I read online, card companies don’t seem to be particularly interested in bringing justice to consumers on this issue. Overall, the whole thing is really frustrating and unfair. Obviously, stores and venders don’t want to have to pay credit card fees on transactions that don’t justify it – when you buy, say, a pack of gum with your credit card you could actually end up COSTING your favorite store money! But really, how many transactions a day does this apply to? And if a merchant ends up with very many tiny transactions (dollar stores, gas stations), maybe they should just stop taking plastic and lose all the business those customers bring with them.
My advice is to vote with your wallet when you come up against unreasonable merchants flouting their own credit card agreements. They’ll get the message.
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