New Credit Card Fee Goes Into Effect Sunday

Are you ready to pay more for items when you use a credit card?  According to DailyFinance.com, today marks the day that you could start paying an extra fee just for using your credit card.

According to the article, the fee is a "checkout fee", a result of a lawsuit between business owners and the credit card companies, to help defray the "swipe fee" that the credit card companies were charging the merchants on every credit card transaction.

Have you ever noticed how some gas stations offer a discount if you pay with cash?  The discount happens to be equal (or close) to the fee they are charged by the credit card networks, given as an incentive for you to pay with cash so the merchant doesn't have to pay that transaction fee.

The article claims that if merchants decide to start charging the new fee, they will introduce it gradually.

I'm glad my credit card is paid off!  I keep it around only for use during emergencies.  If I don't have the cash to buy something, I don't buy it.  (Someone please pass that bit of advice on to our government... please!!)

(Via DailyFinance)