interesting experience at fuel/convenience station

[Patman]

I switched from cash to CC exclusively decades ago when I was encountering lines of shmoes buying scratch tickets and snacks when I was trying to do a fast splash and go during morning commute - or even that slow fill up and crawl on the way home.

Most everything I buy is on a cash back C.C. Gets paid off every month. Not an issue. Lunch out with friends every couple months requires cash.

Wife has her own fully segregated accounts and gets to do her own budgeting and "overspending" Lol.

I’m the same way, I try to buy as much as I can on my CC because of the cash back and I pay it off every month so there is never any interest. The yearly fee is $120 but I end up getting back $40 to $50 every month in cash back so it’s worth it. This CC also includes free roadside assistance and free travel medical insurance too!

 

[D60]

Was this purchase attempt made during late or very early hours? I am surprised you dont know the clerk. Then again, If you never go there, I wonder why were you there this time.
I aways used to ask the clerk they can break a Benjamin or a Fiddy before a purchase, if that's all I have.

edited 22MAY25_1243hrs

Not arguing with you, but I don't ask if it's over $70 on $100. If you don't have a $20 and a couple smaller bills in your till, you also can't break a $20 on a pack of gum.

 

[D60]

I will say at our local Maverick I once had $80. I got one or two things inside and rather than do two separate transactions which is cumbersome, slow and requires me receiving change I'm going to immediately hand back to the cashier, I said, "Great I've got $80 and I want the difference in gas."

The veteran cashier who's worked there forever could not figure it out. I finally did the math for her and said I want this stuff plus, say, $66.21 in gas.

Lo and behold, it rang up to exactly $80.00. Pure magic -- no telling how I got that lucky!!

I'm 99.9% sure their system must have a provision for this? Around here Maverick is HUGE so their POS system should allow for these contingencies??

 

[JHZR2]

Don’t some gas stations in the US already have a different price for gas if paying cash vs paying credit?

That’s always been the case. For a time it went away, then came back, then went away…

 

[tbm5690]

OP I understand not wanting to use your credit card, but why not just keep more $ in the bank account instead of cash and swipe the debit card then? Don't get me wrong, I agree this scenario was ridiculous and shouldn't have been an issue with your cash though.

 

[Hall]

This would suggest to me the location does indeed accept cash, but I could be wrong.

It's obvious they choose not to accept larger bills which is very, very common. I've never seen an ATM dispense $100 bills or even $50 bills.

 

[Hall]

That’s always been the case. For a time it went away, then came back, then went away…

It used to be a "rule" with credit card processors that retailers couldn't effectively punish card users by offering customers a lower price on cash (or a higher price on card transactions). They removed this rule a few years ago, hence why it's so common to see credit card surcharges prominently mentioned.

 

[Chris142]

Was this purchase attempt made during late or very early hours? I am surprised you dont know the clerk. Then again, If you never go there, I wonder why were you there this time.
I aways used to ask the clerk they can break a Benjamin or a Fiddy before a purchase, if that's all I have.

edited 22MAY25_1243hrs

I was very low on gas. These 2 stations are across the street from my work but are pricey compared to others farther away but due to the low fuel I had I didn't want to chance running out of gas . I'm in a desert and gas stations can be miles apart, best to get gas asap vs taking a chance.

It was just after 5P. We close up shop @5 sharp so however long it took me to merge into traffic and get into the left turn lane... Maybe 5:10p at the latest

 

[Wylie6G72]

Something definitely amiss at that store. If she demanded "exact change" you weren't going to get that from an ATM. Either her boss threatened her job to not take $100 bills, or they keep nothing in the register. Unfortunately, they'll stay in business because most people use credit cards these days, but refusing legal tender is just bad business. As I always say, vote with your checkbook. Shop elsewhere.

 

[Dave Hess]

Boss mostly like told all cashiers do NOT accept $100 bills or you’ll get fire.

 

[Astro14]

It's obvious they choose not to accept larger bills which is very, very common. I've never seen an ATM dispense $100 bills or even $50 bills.

Every ATM near me dispenses $50s. Most dispense $100 bills as well.

I tend to carry only 50s and 100s.

 

[scoot]

Does your wife commute for work? Tell her you need a credit card , you're traveling everyday . If she says no , tell her yes . What if you break down on the road ? I'd never leave home without a credit card/debit card .

 

[Allaned]

I’m the same way, I try to buy as much as I can on my CC because of the cash back and I pay it off every month so there is never any interest. The yearly fee is $120 but I end up getting back $40 to $50 every month in cash back so it’s worth it. This CC also includes free roadside assistance and free travel medical insurance too!

I do the same but I hate the idea that a business won't except folding money. Seems all too common these days. My parents ran a retail business back in the day and every evening Mom would be at the dining room table, counting cash and checks, then asking if I'd go with her to drop the locked bag into the bank night deposit slot. Different times. Same business now owned by me siblings prefers that customers pay with credit cars (but will still take folding money).

 

[Hall]

Every ATM near me dispenses $50s. Most dispense $100 bills as well.

Shows how often or how long it's been since I've been to an ATM

 

[SC Maintenance]

BoA tellers dispense $100's - and if you take $300 or more your almost certain to get one. You can hit a button and choose your mix personally - if the machine has those denominations - $10, 20 and 100 - no $50 anymore.

The local Tienda, Dog Groomer, Vet, Fruit stand and Chinese place are all happy to take my $100. Some even give me a cash discount.

Otherwise I use visa and take the cash back. But the above businesses get a lot of my business in big part because they haven't become indentured to big banking yet.

 

[02SE]

Easy math: $4.09 per gallon.

Some poster thought he would only get 10 gallons for 60 smackers out in the high desert

Yes, the math is easy, assuming that's what he meant when he typed: $14.66 gallons.

The $ sign in front of 14.66 indicates he's referring to dollars.

However, if he indeed is referring to gallons, then why is the $ sign in front of the 14.66?

I was trying to figure out what he meant, so was asking for clarification.

 

[maduroman]

This is becoming common. And it pisses me off
What happened to taking cash ?
Not taking it should be illegal, maybe it is
We have places that won't take anything bigger than a 20 , cmon , what ********
I just spend elsewhere
When you have a 100 bill ,they look at you like you just robbed a bank
Don't get me started on asking for i.d. I'm 62 I look it , you know I'm old enough going thru the motions of showing i.d. changes nothing
Just put in a date and let's go, where has common sense gone ??

 

[maduroman]

More fun math.

The $10 of junk food had to be at least 50% gross margin - so that is $5.

Gas is typically marked up 10 to 15% from cost. I know they tell you 3%, but that is after all expenses, like the fixed cost of the station. So their incremental profit from that would have been at least $6.

So they gave up $11 gross profit minimum by refusing the money. Good. Stupid is supposed to hurt.

Thank you !
Most people think there is no profit in selling gas , I've been saying that there is, for years, if there was no profit there wouldn't be a gas station on every corner

 

[Fitter30]

sometimes I wonder if you should get a discount for paying with cash.

Im in Missouri ozarks. All the small businesses charge 3% for using debit or charge cards. Cash or local check.

 

[Patman]

Thank you !
Most people think there is no profit in selling gas , I've been saying that there is, for years, if there was no profit there wouldn't be a gas station on every corner

In some areas up here there isn’t much profit selling gas because they drop the prices so much lower towards the end of the day to compete with other stations. There are nightly price wars in many areas. And during this time period they often are losing money for a while on the gas but they hope to make that up on more people buying cigarettes, snacks and especially car washes if the station has one.

On my drive home today I saw the beginning of another price war, as all of the stations along that one stretch were at about $1.30 per liter and one station was down to $1.18. The rest will surely have dropped their prices to match shortly after this and possibly gone another cent or two lower. Then at midnight everyone resets to a new higher price again. It’s a very odd situation but it’s been happening here for decades.