Dealers charging a fee for using a credit card


I’m wondering if this is the new trend of dealers charging customers anywhere between 3 and 4% fee on the total sale if paying by credit card?   I was going to buy a brand new item online for 5K, but stopped dead in my tracks when I found I was going to have to pay a 3.9% fee for using my Mastercard!  The fee would have been almost $200.00!   Since this dealer has mostly online sales, it sounds like a big money grab to me. Between the 5K price, add $275.00 for shipping and 200 for paying by CC plus sales tax of $300.00, it would have cost me $5775.00.  I cancelled before I clicked send.  I called the dealer and was told that is the cost of doing business on the internet, so I basically told them to pound sand. 
 

Two weeks ago, I had all new brakes and rotors replaced on my 2020 Tucson with only 22K miles on it.  The bill was $1375 and I paid with my card.  When I got the statement, there was a CC fee of $37.00 added to the bill.  I went back to the Hyundai dealer and was told all businesses do this and he pointed to the sign.  I told them I saw the sign but paid with my DEBIT CARD, not a CC.  I was told it didn’t matter.  When I asked how many transactions were in cash, the service writer told me one out of fifteen pay in cash.  This makes me sick to my stomach.  
 

I would like to hear from others who have dealt with this. 

stereo5

Yes, typically the credit card company/bank charges  around 2 to 3% to the dealer. Been that way for many years,

I had a similar experience getting my car serviced at the dealer, luckily cashier verbally advised me there were going to charge cc processing fee. 

Time to bust out the old checkbook . 

This practice started during Covid shutdown at restaurants and car dealers near me, and I have found it with some but not all audio dealers

Every company gets charged a CC processing fee.  Every credit card and processing company charges something different.  Many companies are starting to pass that fee on to the customer while others just include it in their price.  If it isnt stated that they charge one ask if you get a cash discount.  The fee adds up to the companies.  Other than rent and payroll CC processing fees was my largest expense for my Pizza place.  This is why Visa and Mastercard stock prices keep going up.  Inflation increases prices which increase CC Processing fees.  WalMart bought a bank so they would share in the profit of the fee.