October 22nd, 2007
I saw this note glued on the atm machine in the supermarket and it freaked me out. "Small amounts are also processed without charge." If they just glued that on *now* wtf was the case until now??? :wth:
Isn't that a contradiction in terms, though? "Now you pay for free." As opposed to "Until now you've been paying us for the privilege of paying us"? :wallbang:
Aahh fun story this, it's been a source of frustration for me for years.
In the early days after the invention of PIN (paying with a plastic card instead of cash in shops), banks would charge their clients (the shop keepers) for using the system since it was new, rare, etc blah
Naturally, being shop keepers, they would charge the unsuspecting customer for using the PIN service if the total amount was < €10,- (usually 25 cents or something like that)
For some reason many shops still charge you for amounts under ten euros even though PIN is now so widespread banks don't need to charge shop keepers for it and if anything, PIN relieves you of the awful duty of counting the contents of the cash register every day. It seriously diminishes the administrative duties that come with shop keeping so why still charge people for it?
It pisses me off. I've been known to leave my stuff on the counter and walk out of the shop when they said they had to charge me.
Oh, and it's "bedragen" btw ;)
Back home we also have this epidemic albeit on a small scale. They never charge you for paying by card except like if you're up in the mountains skiing and you stop over in a little cottage or something (and yes, most of those places actually offer payment by card :D). Those really remote places still have the charge.
> Oh, and it’s “bedragen” btw ;)
I swear I meant to type that and when I read your comment I was most surprised at the typo. :wth: Then again it is said that people can only remember 5 things at one time. That phrase is 6 words. :D
Typical Dutch shopkeeper mentality. They seemingly feel you should be glad that you're allowed to buy their products. Als het je niet bevalt, dan rot je maar op. Not a very commercial attitude of course, but nevertheless one that prevails here.
I suspect that part of the idea behind it was to force people to use the 'chipknip', a chip that's attached to the card and that can be used to store a small amount of money and that you can pay with without having to enter your PIN code. So it's slightly faster than a regular card transaction.
However, most people didn't like the chipknip and the banks have given up on it now, leading to this new campaign where (mainly large chain stores) don't charge their customers for paying small amounts with the PIN card any longer.
Personally I've always refused such charges anyway. I usually take my business elsewhere, but not after frustrating them by very slowly pretending to search through all my pockets and my briefcase for coins, which I never find of course. ;)
You cheap bastards. :D