# Laser Card and Cashback refusal



## techman (18 Nov 2006)

Went to use my Laser card at a shop last week. Had no cash on me so wanted to pay €2.99 bill and get €50.00 cashback.

Told "normally don't give cashback for such a small purchase."

Can the retailer refuse cashback in such cases?


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## Brianp (18 Nov 2006)

Some shops refuse laser/credit cards on low amount purchases. It would defeat the sale of the goods when taking into account the cost of the transaction.  It happened to me some time ago. had to purchase items over €10 to be able to pay by card.


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## Joe1234 (18 Nov 2006)

I was told in a particular shop that they never give cashback on laser transactions, irrespective of the amount involved.


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## Sn@kebite (18 Nov 2006)

Brianp said:


> Some shops refuse laser/credit cards on low amount purchases. It would defeat the sale of the goods when taking into account the cost of the transaction.  It happened to me some time ago. had to purchase items over €10 to be able to pay by card.



I've heard about this before, apparently the shop owners do have the right to refuse a sale. To anybody.
But if you cause a fuss they normally give in.


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## Brianp (18 Nov 2006)

I would imagine that it is only an added service to their customers to allow them cash back. Shops arent ATM machines after all.


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## Eurofan (19 Nov 2006)

Brianp said:


> Shops arent ATM machines after all.



Exactly what i was thinking. There's no _right_ to demand cashback via laser.


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## pat127 (19 Nov 2006)

"Q. Is there a minimum transaction limit that has to be reached before I can offer Cashback to a customer?
A. No. Once the customer has made a purchase for any value on his/her Laser Card, you are free to offer him/her Cashback."


The key word there is "free". 


Having been involved in the initial stages of Laser I can tell you that cashback was aimed at displacing cheques. Cashback was seen as an added benefit, available to any particular Retailer to use as he/she sees fit.




[broken link removed]​


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## messyleo (19 Nov 2006)

also from a security point of view, i used to work in a shop where it was seen as a touch dodgy if somebody was only buying something for a couple of euro and then asked for a substantial amount of cash back i.e. the card may be stolen (this was before chip and pin of course when all you had to do was forge a signiture - much easier than having to get hold of a pin number to use an atm)


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## Brianp (19 Nov 2006)

just on another note, when i applied for a credit/lasercard machine it asks on the forms whether you want to offer cash back to customers or not. Maybe not all shops are registered to offer cash back. Now, maybe this shop was but i can tell you having one of these machines when you look at the bottom line they cost money to operate and if a shop was continue offering cash back on small amount purchases it kind of defeats trying to make any profit.


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## Sn@kebite (19 Nov 2006)

Eurofan said:


> Exactly what i was thinking. There's no _right_ to demand cashback via laser.



Especially when they don't charge a trasaction fee, like a ATM would.


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## uncorked (20 Nov 2006)

pat127 said:


> "Q. Is there a minimum transaction limit that has to be reached before I can offer Cashback to a customer?
> A. No. Once the customer has made a purchase for any value on his/her Laser Card, you are free to offer him/her Cashback."
> 
> 
> ...


 

I think the key phrase here is  *I can offer*, rather than *I am obliged to offer*, indicating that offering cashback is at the discretion of the shop.


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## coolio (20 Nov 2006)

Aldi/Lidl don't give cash back but accept Laser.  So it seems to be the shop's choice.


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## comanche (20 Nov 2006)

I thought shops liked to give cash back as is meant they have to do less cash drops and keep less cash on the premises


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