VISA’s War on Cash

[HemiHauler]

Hmmm. I am also a T-mobile customer and they were the FIRST to force me to use my checking account and dropped me from using my CC as payment. Was notified with a letter saying that if I continued ot use my CC, I would be charged an additional $10/month per line.
Might want to check your statement.

Ah. Understand. They didn’t “force you”. You decided you didn’t want to pay the $10 to use a credit card. I have no problem paying the extra fee.

 

[OccamsRazor]

Ah. Understand. They didn’t “force you”. You decided you didn’t want to pay the $10 to use a credit card. I have no problem paying the extra fee.

Umm... when someone says they will not accept a form of payment from you unless you pay an extra fee, I would consider that "forcing you" to either switch payment options OR pay a fee
Not even a decision. The cash back/rewards for the money I pay each month for T-mobile doesn't come close to $10/month.

 

[HemiHauler]

Umm... when someone says they will not accept a form of payment from you unless you pay an extra fee, I would consider that "forcing you" to either switch payment options OR pay a fee
Not even a decision. The cash back/rewards for the money I pay each month for T-mobile doesn't come close to $10/month.

OK. But no “force” is involved.

You respond to incentives - perfectly normal and rational.

I’m more of a set-it-and-forget-it type. I don’t want to see any bills month-to-month. Paying by card suits me so don’t care about any fees.

 

[OccamsRazor]

OK. But no “force” is involved.

No. There were no stormtroopers at my door from T-mobile. That kind of force?
According to your reasoning, no one can be "forced" to ever do anything.
There were NO incentives. I was collecting a modest amount of cash-back every month for paying my bill. Now I am not. I do not consider THAT an incentive.

 

[HemiHauler]

No. There were no stormtroopers at my door from T-mobile. That kind of force?
According to your reasoning, no one can be "forced" to ever do anything.
There were NO incentives. I was collecting a modest amount of cash-back every month for paying my bill. Now I am not. I do not consider THAT an incentive.

The incentive is that you avoid the $10 surcharge.

 

[OccamsRazor]

The incentive is that you avoid the $10 surcharge.

Incentives are indicative of a positive gain. NOT avoiding a negative.
If you are shopping for a new car and that car has a dealer up-charge, it is NOT an incentive to just NOT buy the car....

 

[Kyle]

Incentives are indicative of a positive gain. NOT avoiding a negative.
If you are shopping for a new car and that car has a dealer up-charge, it is NOT an incentive to just NOT buy the car....

:yay;

I learned today that when the mob puts a gun to your head and tells you "or else" it's an incentive, not force.

 

[HemiHauler]

Incentives are indicative of a positive gain. NOT avoiding a negative.
If you are shopping for a new car and that car has a dealer up-charge, it is NOT an incentive to just NOT buy the car....

Perfectly OK - lots of folks here don’t understand the science of economic incentives.

 

[OccamsRazor]

Perfectly OK - lots of folks here don’t understand the science of economic incentives.

 

[black dog]

Back in the old days in the Philippines, the girls would take Visa cards by putting the card on the table, putting the carbon paper over that and sliding a heavy ash tray over the whole thing.

They didn't take Am-Ex or The Washington Shopping plate when I was there. Cash Baby...

 

[Gilligan]

Their currency looks like the rainbow coalition flag.

yeah..it does now! A few years back they changed the design of all of their paper. I missed the notice and deadline for turning in the old paper and got stuck with about $500 USD worth....its still in the "furrin money" drawer of my office desk. ;-( I was gonna sell it to SGI for his next trip to Norway but he's become a very slippery character when it comes to foreign travel these last couple of years.

 

[Ken King]

Incentives are indicative of a positive gain. NOT avoiding a negative.

Incentives are anything that persuade a person to alter their behavior in the desired manner, they can be positive or negative in nature.

 

[OccamsRazor]

Incentives are anything that persuade a person to alter their behavior in the desired manner, they can be positive or negative in nature.

Agreed. And in this instance, Hemi is framing it as a positive monetary incentive. I am saying it is a negative incentive.

 

[HemiHauler]

Agreed. And in this instance, Hemi is framing it as a positive monetary incentive. I am saying it is a negative incentive.

It’s still an incentive, as you’re now coming around to see.

 

[OccamsRazor]

It’s still an incentive, as you’re now coming around to see.

I see you are a card carrying member of the "I must frame it so I am correct ALL THE TIME club."
Well, congratulations, you got the very definition of "incentive" correct. Even though you totally missed the entire scope of the conversation.