Why do gas stations change their credit/cash pricing?

[enayes]

I understand that gas stations are allowed to offer a "discount" for cash purchases in an attempt to avoid credit card transaction fees. That part makes sense.

What I don't understand is why a gas station would go back and forth between offering cheaper prices for cash one day, to same price for cash/credit the next.

There are a couple stations near me that change their pricing multiple times during a week. For example on Monday the big sign states: $3.79 cash, $3.79 credit but on Tuesday it reads: $3.79 cash, $3.89 credit.

Is this normal?

:confusedshrug: :confusedshrug:

[enayes]

Has nobody seen this? Stations should stay as same price for all or always offer different prices for cash/credit. Switching between the two is annoying.

[enayes]

need an answer guys

[Draz]

Yes. I've seen this. It's like that over here as well in NY. At least locally where I'm from. I also read a life pro tip on this so it might be universal. Their reason might be because of credit card fraud. All someone needs is your zipcode.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Yes. I've seen this. It's like that over here as well in NY. At least locally where I'm from. I also read a life pro tip on this so it might be universal. Their reason might be because of credit card fraud. All someone needs is your zipcode.

From the NYC area too, I've seen this too.

[Draz]

At a business stand point, they'd rather lose a few cents than risking losing x amount of dollars someone claiming it was a fraud.

[Godzuki]

i dont follow gas station pricing that closely but i'm assuming its really the owners doing whatever they want to do.

one thing i've come to realize about gas stations is they're mostly independently owned by some frugal owner, and they often seem to set their own priciing but its hard to distinguish between that and the constantly fluctuating gas prices.

there are about 5 gas stations around me i know have independent, frugal owners and they are all very different in pricing, gas they sell(like only 1 has kerosene and its a decision on the station to carry it), specials, cash only or cash/credit, etc. etc.

they're like mom and pop shops with corporate gas station names.

[enayes]

Yes. I've seen this. It's like that over here as well in NY. At least locally where I'm from. I also read a life pro tip on this so it might be universal. Their reason might be because of credit card fraud. All someone needs is your zipcode.

I'm in NY as well, 3 hours North of the city. It was just surprising to see it changing at the same station. I'd like to know that gas station "A" always charges the same for cash/credit but they make that impossible to do by switching all the time.

I'm a big credit card user so it bothers me when they give cash an advantage.

[BigNBAfan]

i dont even bother looking at gas prices, rarely do i rent a car. It's a necessity and the difference from station to station is 3 euro for a week of driving... eh.. who cares