# Shop not accepting Laser/Visa for items under €10



## milan (23 Feb 2007)

Hi All,

I was working down in the Greenogue area of Newcastle, Dublin over the last few weeks and was getting lunch in the Spar shop there.
My problem is that they wont accept laser or credit cards unless you spend more that €10 euro in the shop.
I rarely carry cash when i'm working because I find laser or credit card useful for keeping track of my expenses which I claim back from my employer.
I queued up and ordered my sandwich from the deli counter etc and then went up to the till. My total lunch cost about €6.50 or so, I was then informed that I had to spend €10 euro or more or use the ATM as cards are not accepted otherwise. I have never got this in any other shop before when offering laser/Visa. I asked to speak to the manager who was behind the counter and he pointed to a small sign behind the till stating this rule.  Silly place to put it as by the time youve got to the till its too late.


Anyway I left my lunch on the counter and walked in protest.
Has anyone any expiereance of this or know if it is even legal?
Apart from anything else its very short sighted business practice !


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## CCOVICH (23 Feb 2007)

It is totally legal. 

I was caught the same way in Westport a few years ago-sign on door said Laser/Credit Cards accepted, when we went to pay we were told of the minimum charge.  I was less than impressed, and really felt like telling them to take it or leave it, but as we were on holidays I just went and withdrew cash and paid. 

Fair play for protesting, but at the end of the day it is the owners perogative to set such rules.  On the other side, maybe the costs of processing such transactions mitigate against the benefits.


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## ClubMan (23 Feb 2007)

There is no law that says retailers must take _Laser_. I presume that they can unilaterally set their own minimum transaction limits too if they choose? Why not contact Laser or your bank and ask them.

_Post crossed with CCOVICH's._


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## Welfarite (23 Feb 2007)

I've a funny feeling that it's the charges by the bank that force shops to do this. A business friend of mine says he gets massive charges for facilitating LASer cards but then again, he's always moaning!....


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## tiger (23 Feb 2007)

on the laser site it says merchants generally pay from 20c to 28c per transaction.[broken link removed].  That would eat up a large part of the margin on a transaction below €10.


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## milan (23 Feb 2007)

I have checked with a friend of mine who runs a Londis shop locally, He couldnt believe it. There is a small charge for taking laser/visa but he had never heard of shops setting limits on what you had to spend.
He would rather get the sale then lose it. I have complained to 2 irish consumer groups that I found on google but got no response as of yet, I wouldnt mind but I was working down there for a few weeks on and off and probably spent €40 - €60 euro in total and they did accept laser there before for lunch. I think the girl at the till had to insist on the rule because her boss was there.
I was fuming....and starving !!


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## CCOVICH (23 Feb 2007)

I have come across it in many places-and I don't mind it all as long as it is clearly disclosed. Don't forget that Ryanair charge for booking with a card and both Aldi and Lidl don't accept credit cards at all.

I'm sure the girl on the till would have insisted anyway as it would have shown up on the records at a later stage had she accepted the transaction.

And it could have been worse-after all there was an ATM in store, right?


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## ClubMan (23 Feb 2007)

And _Lidl/Aldi _don't do _Laser _cash backs.


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## DrMoriarty (23 Feb 2007)

Welfarite said:


> I've a funny feeling that it's the charges by the bank that force shops to do this.


On the continent, you'll often see retail outlets — even big supermarkets — that won't accept credit cards for transactions <€10, presumably for the same reason.


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## milan (23 Feb 2007)

There was an ATM there but on that day I was using my credit card and wasn't willing to use it in an ATM to get cash.
I wouldn't mind either once it was clearly stated in the shop, but to have to queue up and then be told at the till, really annoyed me.


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## milan (23 Feb 2007)

Just emailed Laser customer services to check about this minimum spend policy.


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## liteweight (23 Feb 2007)

I was in a shop on Grafton Street last week and the two shop assistants were talking about a lady who wanted to pay for a 80cent chocolate bar with Laser. To quote 'I told her to take a hike'!! Charm school needed or what?


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## ClubMan (23 Feb 2007)

I recently saw a person pay by credit card for a single pint in the local!


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## CCOVICH (25 Feb 2007)

liteweight said:


> I was in a shop on Grafton Street last week and the two shop assistants were talking about a lady who wanted to pay for a 80cent chocolate bar with Laser. To quote 'I told her to take a hike'!! Charm school needed or what?



Do you reckon they actually told her to take a hike?  I would be surprised if they did.


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## liteweight (25 Feb 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> Do you reckon they actually told her to take a hike?  I would be surprised if they did.



No, I imagine it was a bit of bravado once the customer had left.


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## jhegarty (25 Feb 2007)

The charge for a laser is quite small ... but the cc card is very heft, i wouldn't blame any shop for having a minimun transaction on it...


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## KalEl (25 Feb 2007)

jhegarty said:


> The charge for a laser is quite small ... but the cc card is very heft, i wouldn't blame any shop for having a minimun transaction on it...


 
I think the point is that laser transactions incur a fixed cost for the retailer. They're well within their rights to impose a limit...otherwise they could end up losing money on smaller transactions.


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## Pee (25 Feb 2007)

The company I work for limit the amount we can spend by credit card on a single purchase to €600, over that we need to arrange a purchase order which can take up to 30 days to pay by company cheque. Last year I booked a hotel for a mini-conference, total bill came to €900, I offered the hotel the choice of 2 invoices and we pay by CC or alternatively using the purchase order. Their choice was payment by cheque as they would lose too much on the CC transaction.

So I can see where the convenience stores are coming from - also it can be very annoying when waiting in the queue for the till and see someone paying by CC for such a small amount.


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## CCOVICH (25 Feb 2007)

Pee said:


> So I can see where the convenience stores are coming from - also it can be very annoying when waiting in the queue for the till and see someone paying by CC for such a small amount.




Yes, I agree with that.


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## Johnny1 (25 Feb 2007)

Pee said:


> - also it can be very annoying when waiting in the queue for the till and see someone paying by CC for such a small amount.


 Why is this annoying they were there before you they can pay however they like. How do you know what method of payment they use, you must be one of those ignorant people that stand directly behind the paying costumer looking over their shoulder. Next time stand back and wait your turn.


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## CCOVICH (25 Feb 2007)

Johnny1 said:


> Why is this annoying they were there before you they can pay however they like. How do you know what method of payment they use, you must be one of those ignorant people that stand directly behind the paying costumer looking over their shoulder. Next time stand back and wait your turn.




It is very easy to see how someone pays.  Try and be civil-making allegations of 'ignorance' is only likely to start a row.


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## KalEl (25 Feb 2007)

Johnny1 said:


> Why is this annoying they were there before you they can pay however they like. How do you know what method of payment they use, you must be one of those ignorant people that stand directly behind the paying costumer looking over their shoulder. Next time stand back and wait your turn.


 
Lol...I take it you're one of those people who only start taking their bank card out when they get to the ATM?
Nobody has the right to unneccessarily delay and annoy other people in a queue. That kind of behaviour leads to a free for all.


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## Johnny1 (25 Feb 2007)

KalEl said:


> Lol...I take it you're one of those people who only start taking their bank card out when they get to the ATM?
> Nobody has the right to unneccessarily delay and annoy other people in a queue. That kind of behaviour leads to a free for all.


Wrong! I don't agree with wasting time delaying other people.


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## getoffthepot (27 Feb 2007)

you can pay toll charges of €1 in Spain and France with your credit card.

Why not ?


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## ClubMan (27 Feb 2007)

Because some shops unilaterally set their own minimum limit on card transactions as is their prerogative.


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## KalEl (27 Feb 2007)

getoffthepot said:


> you can pay toll charges of €1 in Spain and France with your credit card.
> 
> Why not ?


 
Because the discussion is about laser cards...paying a €1 toll with a credit card which incurs a 1.5% charge isn't a huge deal.
Paying a €1 toll with a debit/Laser card which incurs a fixed charge of 30c is a big deal.


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## gipimann (28 Feb 2007)

My local spar won't accept laser for transactions under 5 euro.   It is clearly signposted behind the registers though, so at least everyone gets some warning.  There's no ATM nearby for those who are cashless like the OP.


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## Pee (28 Feb 2007)

Johnny1 said:


> Why is this annoying they were there before you they can pay however they like. How do you know what method of payment they use, you must be one of those ignorant people that stand directly behind the paying costumer looking over their shoulder. Next time stand back and wait your turn.


 
No I'm not ignorant, actually the further back you stand the more likely you'll see how customers pay at a till. 
Surely you agree with me that payment by card is a lot slower than paying by cash???????


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## Johnny1 (1 Mar 2007)

Pee said:


> No I'm not ignorant, actually the further back you stand the more likely you'll see how customers pay at a till.
> Surely you agree with me that payment by card is a lot slower than paying by cash???????


Yes I agree, unless there is a woman in front of you deciding to pay with her loose change taking ages to get it out of her handbag then counting it.


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## Elphaba (5 Mar 2007)

Pee said:


> The company I work for limit the amount we can spend by credit card on a single purchase to €600, over that we need to arrange a purchase order which can take up to 30 days to pay by company cheque. Last year I booked a hotel for a mini-conference, total bill came to €900, I offered the hotel the choice of 2 invoices and we pay by CC or alternatively using the purchase order. Their choice was payment by cheque as they would lose too much on the CC transaction.
> 
> So I can see where the convenience stores are coming from - also it can be very annoying when waiting in the queue for the till and see someone paying by CC for such a small amount.



Yes, I definately agree. I was in a queue in tesco and there was a lady in front of me using her credit card to pay for a pack of chocolate biscuits? I thought she must be really hard up. Visa charge 3% to the merchant on all transactions. So its common sense for a biz not to accept c. cards for sales under 10 euro.


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