Square Mobile Credit Card Reader

Moot point.

Changes to Surcharging Fees in the United States
Beginning January 27, 2013, merchants in the United States and U.S. Territories will be permitted to impose a checkout fee on consumers when they use a credit card.
http://usa.visa.com/personal/using_v...ees/index.html
Posted via Mobile Device

That's Visa only... I don't know if other card companies will follow suit.

ALSO

So no, it's not a moot point.

I didn't know square didnt have customer service! Ay!
I like the idea of paypal. A lot of people use and trust paypal.
Never heard of payanywhere, will look into that and the intuit go. Thanks for the suggestions!

Thanks! Alas, I live in the lovely state of California. I read the law blurb on that page for CA, and it's illegal in CA to charge a fee for people using a card, you can however offer a discount for paying with cash.
Things I never would have thought of without you guys.

Visa is just the site I pulled it from. It's also on consumer reports. The law is not yet in effect. It starts next year.

Here's a good article from Forbes. I'm on mobile so linking is difficult.
Be Aware: Credit Card Purchases May Soon Carry a Surcharge - Forbes
As the Electronic Payments Coalition pointed out, “As part of the settlement, retailers negotiated the ability to charge their customers a checkout fee (merchant surcharge) at the register.”


And from the electronic payments coalition
Interchange Settlement | Electronic Payments Coalition
3) As part of the settlement, retailers negotiated the ability to charge their customers a checkout fee (merchant surcharge) at the register. Elimination of the merchant surcharge rule—applicable to all merchants where permitted by state law—permitted on credit and charge card. There is a cap on the checkout fee, limiting it to cost of acceptance. The settlement requires notice and disclosure to the consumer at point of entry, point of sale and on the receipt.



IOW it doesn't matter what's legal NOW because in a month it's changing.

You could also loophole the issue by giving a discount to cash payers instead of up charging credit card transactions. Some gas stations do this.
Posted via Mobile Device

So, I would make my lesson fee $42 or whatever it comes out to with the fee, and offer a discount of 2.75% or something if you pay with cash? Good grief charlie brown.

You're missing the whole point. It's irrelevant if Visa, Mastercard, Amex or whomever says it's ok to charge fees. The LAWS in certain states say you cannot.

The Laws are not changing, so if you are like the OP, you cannot charge the fees to your customer.

A cash discount is a loophole you can use though.

Ok, I see, I see. Thank you guys for your help! The cash discount loophole sounds like the way to go. I'm glad I know that now though. No sense in paying hundreds of dollars for liability insurance and then risking getting sued for some credit card thing.

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Yes tougher, you can throw it against the wall, Drop it in the water trough, ride with in your back pocket and it still works great, only phone of mine that has lasted.

I lost my blackberry somewhere in the mud at the stables. Still haven't found it. Alas I have a $10 flip phone *sigh* with promise of a new phone for my birthday in February. I was thinking iphone+otterbox at first. I don't know now though. I've been looking at HTCs with everything I need for about $350 less. Yeah I want an iphone. But dang they're so expensive. And do I really need all of that? I need to be able to check the weather from my phone, all my lessons depend on it. If it's too rainy, I have to be prepared to trailer to the indoor arena 20 minutes away, so I am constantly checking the weather.

So what is this magic phone you speak of that withstands both water troughs and throwage against the wall?