If you are referring to me, I use a credit card for more than 90 percent of my purchases, and I never use one in a restaurant. But, I cannot remember ever being charged a fee. So, I don't think it is a common practice, and hope it never is.

This is Old News!
 

VA did the same thing for many years but at least they are up front about the charge

It will be a moot point when digital currency comes in soon. You won't need a credit card, and the government will know how you spend every cent.

Could this possibly be the Arnold Palmer Country club? You might remember him? He played golf.

If you have a “no annual fee” card from your bank and are paying the 3.5% tacked onto your bill, you no longer have a free card from your bank. I’d say reduce your tip and jot a note on the merchant receipt as to why you did. The servers will push back on management. And right now, they have plenty of leverage.
Also, that charge from the CC companies to the restaurant is a tax deductible expense for the merchant. So that 3.5% you may be paying is likely inflated and in their favor.
But that’s none of my business lol ������

Where is Arnold Parker’s?

Exactly!! Servers working at, for example, Chops make more in tips per customer than, let’s say Ruby Tuesday. Why?? Entire way tips are handled in this country is screwed up. If you serve one plate of food and one glass of something and otherwise service a patron at a table why would the venue make a difference??? Just saying…..

Most "Debit Cards" are issued by VISA or MasterCharge. The internal process is essentially the same, whether it's credit or debit. The fee however, are different.

There are only 5-6 companies in the USA, that actually "process" these things. Then there's an intermediate processor that is the conduit between the business you're doing business with and the actual processor.

In general, one of the highest processing fees are charge for the hospitality business, I suspect, because of the high-risk in the transient business. While the direct and obvious charge will usually be a hair under 2%, that doesn't recognize the transaction fee that's assessed to every transaction (I *think* that fee is about 8¢) and an increase if you're using a "Rewards Card". Over the course of a year, the average credit card fees for a restaurant, is likely to average close to 3.0% - 3.5%. (I just checked one of our hospitality businesses and for the month of July, we were at 2.5%. We have an extremely low rate, based on our history and volume.)

All that said, it used to be considered the "cost of doing business". If a business didn't take CC's, they figured they would lose significant business, so they absorbed the fees.

Now it's just the norm and the convenience fee for that "cashless society" we've been promised for 10 years is now here and the consumer is paying for it.

And they get to keep the 7% tax you paid.

My hairdresser started charging 3.75 percent if you use a credit card several years ago. If you use a debit card—as a debit card with a code—there is no charge. Seems like smaller business are starting to charge the fees.

It's just down the street from the Jack Nickelby Country Club.

There's a local bar up here in northern Minnesota. They started charging a 2.5% surcharge. The bartender was defending the owner saying "last year Archie had to pay $50,000 in credit card fees!" I responded "do you know if he paid $50,000 in fees that means he had $2 million in sales?… Let that sink in for a minute considering he's paying you minimum wage". The guy stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face and you could see the gears turning.

Then I pulled out my checkbook and wrote him a check. :pepper2:

If the establishment does not post the signage for the charge fee than it is not a MUST pay fee. You can demand they remove it. The business must have posted any additional fee's in the business so that consumers are aware of the charge ahead of time. If they have that posted than it is up to you whether you stay and purchase or leave.

price of everything is going up.. including bank fees to process your credit card .. next trip take cash along.. pretty soon your cc/miles will be worth zero too..