Gas Stations Setting Society Back Years

Over the past few years, society in general has started to move away from cash transactions. Nearly everywhere you go allows you to pay with credit/debit cards, or even checks. There is even that Visa commercial where the person not using a card to pay for something was "un-hip".

I have given up checks a long time ago. I pay all my bills online. The only regular check I write is for daycare. There was a stretch of about 15 checks this past spring all written to my daycare provider.

Now, here come the gas stations. I know for some time that stations near truck stops offer cash discounts on diesel fuel. Now it is starting to become an epidemic. The gas stations are tricking people into thinking gas is cheaper. I stopped yesterday along Highway 100 in Hales Corners. All the stations on the street were advertising $2.89 on their signs. I pulled into one only to see that the pump said $2.94 (lets just ignore the .9 which is another way that gas stations try to make you feel good about paying for gas!). I took a few steps to look at the sign to make sure I saw it correctly. I did, but when I looked again, I noticed that there was now a little "cash" notation next to the first number on the sign.

I have come to the point where I rarely carry cash, since I know that places will either take my card, or I can get money from an ATM in a pinch. There has even been talk about eliminating the penny completely. Now the gas stations go and pull this, which I know is completely legal, and saves the station a credit card transaction fee.

You might say, "Just get some money out of the ATM to save money." I say, "That is a rip-off". Many gas station ATM's are owned by the station themselves and would actually make more money off you getting cash from their ATM to pay for your "discounted" gas. How?

Gas is $2.89 with cash and $2.94 with a card. That is a savings of $0.05 per gallon. My car has a 15 gallon tank. If I fill up completely, it would save me $0.75 to pay with cash. When is the last time you saw an ATM with a fee of $0.75 or less (unless it is at your bank or one of the few left that do not charge a fee).

It all seems somewhat deceptive...especially for those who are getting cash out of the ATM to "save" on gas. Reminds me of the "discount" for getting a car wash. Pay $0.20 less if you get a $5.00 car wash. $0.20 x 15 gallons = $3.00. You get the idea.