Can a train company force me to do a minimum payment on card?

maninthestreet

photome wrote: »

why? because you are british?

americans think nothing of paying for everything on a card however small the amount, and sureley that is what a debit card is for

So what do you think cash is for??
I would never think of leaving the house without some cash on me, even if it was just a few pounds.

photome

maninthestreet wrote: »

So what do you think cash is for??
I would never think of leaving the house without some cash on me, even if it was just a few pounds.[/QUOTE

Nor would I but that isnt the point.

It shouldnt matter if you do

katejo

photome wrote: »

why? because you are british?

americans think nothing of paying for everything on a card however small the amount, and sureley that is what a debit card is for

What fees (if any) do US shops have to pay for processing debit card payments. I have to take occasional payments by card at work but most of the amounts are under £10. We don't accept debit card (only credit card) because we would lose most of the payment in fees.

Buzby

Isn''t than strange? The Govt plans to outlaw charging fees for debit card transactions (because they are so low), but permit a capped percentage on credit cards.

The decision might be forced on you!

Naf

OP: My other thought is that you should be grateful for the warning. A lot of people who don't travel by train so often could be caught out by this.

Bowling_4_Gold

You can now pay bus fare on any London bus (which is £1.35) by contactless card (tapping it against the Oyster reader). It is as quick and as cheap as using an Oyster card. If TfL can still turn a profit after the processing fees on £1.35, why can't the UK's TOCs?

Using Contactless cards on the Tube and daily price caps are coming soon.

tfl.gov.uk/contactless

It's going to be VERY useful for someone like me, who goes to London occasionally and uses Oyster. If I'm going from Paddington to Kings Cross on the bus, I'd much rather pay £1.35 from my debit card then go through the hassle of topping up my Oyster at the station or getting cash out.

phillai

martindow wrote: »

Is there no ticket machine where you get on the train? I thought you were expected to have a ticket before you board.

Nope, there is no ticket machine in my home town. We have to pay when we get on the train in my home town.

Where I live isn't London.

Treadmill

If you have the means to pay but they won't accept your payment, I see that as their problem. In the future cashless payments will be the norm with technologies like NFC, any business that fails to keep up will be dead in the water.

photome

Treadmill wrote: »

If you have the means to pay but they won't accept your payment, I see that as their problem. In the future cashless payments will be the norm with technologies like NFC, any business that fails to keep up will be dead in the water.

Sort of what i have been trying to say, you put it better though

vikingaero

Treadmill wrote: »

If you have the means to pay but they won't accept your payment, I see that as their problem. In the future cashless payments will be the norm with technologies like NFC, any business that fails to keep up will be dead in the water.

In some countries such as Germany it is the norm to use cash and not cards. There is an aversion to debt in Germany.

I take out £200 per week from the cashpoint. I can look into my wallet and see instantly how much I have left. With cards and NFC it isn't that easy to remember and add up credit/debit card slips and because of that people can spend inappropriately and buy things they shouldn't have.

Using cards for so many small payments only increases the cost of products at the till.