Minimum cash spend in shops

Yvoh

I was very surprised recently to visit a local shop and see a notice that there is a minimum CASH spend of £2 plus Vat. We are all used to seeing the minimum spend on a card but I have never seen a minimum cash spend. Is this even legal. I know it's not a large amount, it's the principle. I would be interested in your thoughts. Thank you

JJ_Egan

Basics are they do not have to serve you .

Silver_Shark

My thought is to shop elsewhere.

davidmcn

Why would it not be legal? They don't need to accept any particular method of payment, they don't need to sell you anything at all.

eddddy

Yvoh wrote: »

I was very surprised recently to visit a local shop and see a notice that there is a minimum CASH spend of £2 plus Vat. We are all used to seeing theva minimum spend on a card but I have never seen a minimum cash spend. Is this even legal. I know it's not a large amount, it's the principle. I would be interested in your thoughts. Thank you

What kind of shop is it? Is it for "business to business" sales?

If they mention vat (i.e. "£2 plus vat"), that sounds like they sell to businesses.

It wouldn't be unusual for a "business-to-business" seller to set a minimum spend - but I'd expect it to be much higher than £2.

Yvoh

I did spend a fair bit more than the obligatory £2.40 but I fail to see what difference it makes if you spend 50p or £50. It's a shop that sells to business and public. It's a tool fixings shop where you can buy say 10 washers for 50p. But cash is cash so why would you refuse to sell too anyone.

eddddy

Yvoh wrote: »

I did spend a fair bit more than the obligatory £2.40 but I fail to see what difference it makes if you spend 50p or £50. It's a shop that sells to business and public. It's a tool fixings shop where you can buy say 10 washers for 50p. But cash is cash so why would you refuse to sell too anyone.

I guess because they don't want to waste their assistant's time doing lots of 50p sales.

• The 50p sale might take a minute of the assistant's time, and it might generate a profit margin of 25p. The cost of employing the assistant is probably more than 25p per minute.

• Also, they may be worried that their profitable business customers (who spend say £100+ in a transaction, and for whom "time is money" - perhaps their rate is £50 per hour), get fed up wasting time waiting in queues behind people spending 50p, and go elsewhere.

Yvoh

Thank you and yes I understand that. However it's not the sort of shop that is very busy. There is very rarely anyone in there when you go in and a couple of assistants waiting for something to do. I would imagine most of their sales are internet or telephone orders. It just happens to be open to the public as well. It's not like your average supermarket. I just thought it was a bit strange.

mattyprice4004

It’s strange but perfectly legal

Yvoh

Yes I thought it must be, it's just something I have never come across before and nor has anyone that I have spoken too. Something we will have to get used too I suppose but if I was told again that there was a minimum cash spend I think I would definitely shop elsewhere. I was just curious to know if this was now becoming standard procedure. Thanks all

DigForVictory

Sounds like a "get rid of the small customer" ploy, which is alas understandable given the increasd markup on the larger sales but very tough of poor old Major Smith, retired, who is trying to get his sink fixed by getting the right bit for a reasonable price rather than pay a real man with all their overheads to do it for several ponds more.

I agree with 'take my trade elsewhere' but that presumes I can get minor hardware bits elsewhere locally...