bookstore and campus express

[EXS100]

so yeah like why does the uoft bookstore and campus express need minimum $5 to use credit card? isnt that like illegal? who do i report this to?

[Sammmy]

How is that illegal? lots of places do this.

It cost the store money everytime a customer uses plastic cards. If you say buy a pack of gum for a dollar, and w/e bank charges the bookstore 50 cents for the transaction, then the store only makes 50 cents revenue. Not to mention the cost of operation and cost of the gum.

[bkustra]

My understanding is that a lot of credit card agreements between merchants and credit card companies forbid minimum purchases to use a credit card. However illegal has a very specific meaning which is forbidden by law or statute (or regulation, etc.). As far as I know there are no government rules on minimum purchase conditions.

However, if that is a term of the agreement between the merchant and the credit card company then the merchant is breaching a term of the contract and the credit card company might have a remedy available.

My understanding is also that minimum purchase clauses are not a factor for debit cards.

Someone who actually runs a store might know more, this is all just third hand impressions I have picked up over the years.

If you were inclined to learn more the best organization to call is probably Mastercard or Visa.