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

I have noticed this happening more and more. Someone started it and spread like wildfire. As far as I'm concerned that is their cost of doing business like it's always been and the debit card fee to them is less than c.c. Also have run into some places like the Verizon store that don't take cash.

Here in the UK retailers are no longer allowed to make additional charges for their card fees. That’s generally the case in the EU too.

Since the rules changed a few years ago, I’ve paid for pretty much everything by credit card. I hardly ever use a debit card or cash these days. That’s apart from things like utilities and subscriptions by direct debit or direct bank payment.

Illegal in Massachusetts....   can not charge more for credit vs cash.   Can offer cash discount. 

For the youngsters on this forum, Yogiboy’s attestation aligns with my grey headed experience. For example, I’ve had this merchant surcharge added using AmEx since the ‘90s.