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Comment by ulfw | Hacker News Reader

Meanwhile everywhere you pay with a credit card in Australia you have to pay an additional 1-2% because they can get away with it. It's a terrible example really.

(just as an example: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/rooms/?ctyhocn=SY...)

"Hotel Message

Credit Card Fee

Credit Card payments relating to Australian hotels incur a merchant service fee of 2% in addition to the total amount payable."

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It’s kind of how it should be. Otherwise people not paying by credit card are subsidising people who do. It might encourage the card companies to lower their fees.

Managing cash itself though is other additional costs that aren't present when paying by card, having to bring it to bank periodically if you're doing that, ecc

For a small shop that is work you can do yourself VS work you are forced to pay someone else to do.

Oh yes that's sure, but you still pay in time rather than money (I guess it's OK for a lot of people)

There is debit cards in many countries with marginal fees. As it is now those savings aren’t passed on to me I still do it for local shops.

It's still a form of rent seeking. They charge 2% because nobody else has the capability to create an alternative. It's preferable for a government to reduce rent seeking as it makes the economy more productive, eg by limiting the fee.

It hasn't though and no it's not how it should be. Any kind of payment comes with a fee. Yes even counting cash at a bank isn't free. Paying a security firm to come pick up cash regularly isn't free.

And the hotel has accounted for this in their price. Apparently they find it 1-2% cheaper. It's only unfair if they only accept credit cards, and still add a hidden fee.

They don't. You're assuming a lot of things. Extremely few people pay cash at a hotel (as even deposit would have to be in cash and held in place and refunded in person). Vast majority pay with card.

They're doing this because they can get away with it. Purely and simple. Large part of this 2% is extra profit.

I guess you find using your credit card to be worth the price, then. Every transaction has two sides.

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