Live data from Hacker News

How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

library.hbs.edu

31–40 of 473 posts

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#32
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same, that percentage seems absurd though.

The only way I can interpret the percentage is that they are stating the increased cost as a percentage of sales tax rather than a percentage of the sale, such that "26% higher sales tax" in a state changing 10% sales tax would mean paying 2.4% more in total. That choice seems misleading, but does make the percentage make sense.

That is what it says after all, it's pretty explicit.

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How generous are credit card rewards in the EU?

Presumably not very, because the large majority of Europeans do not use credit cards.

I'd say it heavily depend on country. In some of them they are popular, but in others even debit cards is something only few people have.

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#34
post #7

Important context: this is US thing. EU capped interchange fees at 0.2% for debit and 0.3% for credit cards. So in US card processing is x5-x10 more expensive.

To be more specific, this is a US credit card topic. Debit card fees are capped in the US, yet I’ve never received a discount from a merchant for paying with debit instead of credit. As such, I just pay with credit and have never understood this argument.

In NYC, most independent shops give a debit card discount / credit card surcharge.

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#35
post #7

Important context: this is US thing. EU capped interchange fees at 0.2% for debit and 0.3% for credit cards. So in US card processing is x5-x10 more expensive.

To be more specific, this is a US credit card topic. Debit card fees are capped in the US, yet I’ve never received a discount from a merchant for paying with debit instead of credit. As such, I just pay with credit and have never understood this argument.

Once ever I was requested to either pay cash or via debit in a cafe in Montreal

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#36
post #7

Important context: this is US thing. EU capped interchange fees at 0.2% for debit and 0.3% for credit cards. So in US card processing is x5-x10 more expensive.

To be more specific, this is a US credit card topic. Debit card fees are capped in the US, yet I’ve never received a discount from a merchant for paying with debit instead of credit. As such, I just pay with credit and have never understood this argument.

Good for you as you're smart but less smart people don't do this and then get scammed legally.

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#37

I always wondered why people in America would ever pay by cash or credit card - unless they are laundering that cash. Otherwise, you're giving up 1-3% discount. Set auto-pay on your credit card to pay in full every month. I've never once paid for credit card interest. I think there's a term inside credit card companies for people like me: leeches or something like that.

I've heard such people referred to as deadbeats.

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#38

> Because merchants charge everyone the same price regardless of how they pay, those fee costs are factored into prices for all shoppers. However, credit card users get that money back and then some through rewards, while cash and debit users get little or nothing. >The result: People paying cash face the equivalent of a 26% higher sales tax than premium credit card users shopping at the same store. I am surprised th…

Many restaurants I’ve eaten at lately surcharge credit cards with a 3% fee, offering a discount if you pay cash. This is the way to nullify this regressive policy until the US commercial banking system offers instant payments for merchants, internalizing the externality of the interchange fee. If you pay with card, you US FedNow instant payments went live three years ago, and can move $10M per transaction for a few p…

Not only would the 3% fee not make me blink, as my cards have 3% cash back for dining, I doubt I'd change my behavior even at a 5% discount. If anything it'd dissuade me slightly from patronizing the restaurant.

Credit cards are convenient and cash isn't. The genie is out of the bottle, no way to make people move back to cash.

Re: How credit card rewards became a $9.2B wealth transfer

#40
post #7

Important context: this is US thing. EU capped interchange fees at 0.2% for debit and 0.3% for credit cards. So in US card processing is x5-x10 more expensive.

Still affects us as sticker prices are not set independently. Even if you exclusively buy locally, $ = € is extremely common for MSRP.

That's because the $ prices are without VAT
Post reply on HN