Sometimes those fees are so small you barely even notice. But they add up. I started noticing this years ago when I worked at an auto repair shop. The owner told me he wanted to start adding a percentage when customers paid with a credit card. Because he had seen other businesses do it. At the time, I thought, "hmm, okay." Then I started seeing it in more places. You go somewhere and there's a sign telling you that a 3.5 percentage will be added if you use your credit card. You buy tickets to an event and suddenly there's a "processing fee". You see a "convenience fee". You look at your receipt and there's another charge that you weren't expecting. And I'm thinking "Wait a minute. I'm already paying the bill. Why am I also paying your cost for accepting my payment?"
My mom taught me something years ago that I've always tried to live by. "Pay your credit card bill in full and on time." Why? Because she didn't want the credit card company making money off of me through interest. So imagine my surprise when I realized that even when I pay my credit card off in full, I may still be paying an additional fee to the business simply because I chose to use my credit card. And here's the thing. I'm not saying don't use your credit card. I'm saying "Pay attention." Because once I became aware of these fees, I started making different choices. If I see that a business charges an additional fee for using a credit card. I might take out my checkbook. I might carry cash. I might ask whether there's a different price depending on how I pay.
Today, I went somewhere to get an apostille seal on a document. There was a sign clearly posted letting customers know that using a credit card would result in an additional 3.5% charge. I was gonna use my credit card but after seeing the sign opted to pay cash instead. So happy it was just three dollars because I had it. So I paid the three dollars in cash and kept it moving.
That little moment reminded me of something. Sometimes it's not about the amount. It's about having the information and making the choice. And that's why I'm writing this. I'm not telling anybody how they should pay their bills or what payment method they should use. I'm simply saying be informed. Look for signs and look at your receipts. You may see words like "credit card surcharge", "convenience fee", "service fee", "processing fee", but don't automatically assume they're all the same thing. Ask what the fee's for. If you're about to make a purchase, ask, "is there an additional fee for using my credit card?" If there is, then you can decide whether the convenience of using your card is worth the extra charge. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. But at least you know. And that's really my point. Because if we're not paying attention, we can swipe, tap, sign and walk away without realizing that we just paid an extra percentage on top of what we already owed.
Here's another thing I've learned. Just because a fee is small doesn't mean it isn't money. 3 dollars here 5 dollars there a percentage over here, a processing fee over there. Before you know it, you've spent money you didn't have to simply because you weren't aware of the charge. So, the next time you're getting ready to tap that card take a second. Look for the sign. Ask the question. Check the receipt. And if there's another way to pay without the additional fee, then decide what makes sense for you. I'm not trying to tell anybody what to do. I'm just saying, "Know what you're paying for." Because, apparently, these days even paying your bill comes with a bill. I'm just saying, I got issues. What about you? 🦋
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