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0 pointswhat5mo ago0 comments

>they don’t want to pay interchange fees

That seems totally fair if they can’t pass that cost on to you for using a card. Why should they have to pay to accept your patronage?

0 comments

renhanxue5mo ago

A cheaper alternative to cards here is app payment via Swish (approximately like Venmo). Goes straight to the vendor's bank account at a flat rate of the equivalent of USD ~$0.15 per transaction.

whatOP5mo ago

Why don’t you pay the transaction fee every time you use your card or whatever then? Why should the merchant foot the bill?

sebra5mo ago

That used to be semi-common for smaller transactions in Sweden but was made illegal. Not sure why, probably to fight tax avoidance.

At this point the cost of handling cash is way higher than handling cards and as no one in Sweden ever uses cash its no longer relevant at all anyway. Now many (maybe even most?) dont accept cash to avoid the cost of handling cash instead.

renhanxue5mo ago

Having a cash register and handling cash costs money too, doesn't it? It's just a cost of doing business.

2 more replies

immibis5mo ago

Note that Europe passed a law that limits interchange fees to something very low by US standards, like $0.20 or 0.05%, so it's not a reasonable excuse.

(The fact that credit card networks continue doing business in Europe proves they're still profitable and the US is getting ripped off by these fees)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

renhanxue5mo ago

A cheaper alternative to cards here is app payment via Swish (approximately like Venmo). Goes straight to the vendor's bank account at a flat rate of the equivalent of USD ~$0.15 per transaction.

whatOP5mo ago

Why don’t you pay the transaction fee every time you use your card or whatever then? Why should the merchant foot the bill?

sebra5mo ago

That used to be semi-common for smaller transactions in Sweden but was made illegal. Not sure why, probably to fight tax avoidance.

renhanxue5mo ago

Having a cash register and handling cash costs money too, doesn't it? It's just a cost of doing business.

2 more replies

immibis5mo ago

Note that Europe passed a law that limits interchange fees to something very low by US standards, like $0.20 or 0.05%, so it's not a reasonable excuse.

(The fact that credit card networks continue doing business in Europe proves they're still profitable and the US is getting ripped off by these fees)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse