Credit Card Rights

[Barkeep49]

A few years ago when I got my first Credit Card I did a whole bunch of reading about it and one of the things I seem to remember is that a company cannot charge a surcharge for using a credit card. Did I just imagine this? I ask because I was thinking of buying tickets and the venue had too prices posted, one for cash and one for use of a credit card, and if this is indeed against their merchant agreement I would like to report them.

[SackAttack]

Depends on the state in which the vendor is registered, I think. The following states have laws prohibiting surcharges:

# California
# Colorado
# Connecticut
# Florida
# Kansas
# Maine
# Massachusetts
# New York
# Oklahoma
# Texas

Basically, credit card companies charge merchants a "discount fee." They take a percentage of the sale for their 'services.' The surcharges you'll see are usually the merchant passing those costs on to you. In the states listed above, they cannot do that. In the others, presumably the law allows them to.

You know how you'll see sales tax charged for purchases being delivered to certain states? Same kind of idea with surcharges. I'd be willing to bet that either they're in a state that allows it, or you're ordering from a state that allows it.

EDIT: I somehow left Texas off the list.