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Last updated on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
(INDIANAPOLIS) - A new regulation just went into effect allowing stores and restaurants to charge customers who use plastic a checkout fee.
Not many stores are passing the fee along to customers yet, but experts say that could change.
Even the idea of a checkout fee is certain to generate a certain emotion from customers.
Checkout fees are now possible because of a settlement with credit card companies that gave retailers the ability to pass on credit card processing fees to customers. The fees typically range from 1.5 to 3 percent.
But even though retailers like Global Gifts spend a lot on processing fees, don't look for them to pass them on to you any time soon. Customers here use credit cards about 85 percent of the time and they don't want to scare off that business.
"It's a quick and easy decision for Global Gifts that we would not do something like that," Carpenter said.
Fox59 News found that retailers throughout Indianapolis said the same thing. Checkout fees don't make sense in the short-term.
Businesses that do decide to charge the checkout fee are required to post a notice either on the door or in the store. The charge is also required to be posted on each receipt, so you can see it for yourself.
According to the National Retail Federation the checkout fees won't be implemented by major national stores either.
As a Fair Trade store Sam says the charge doesn't fit with Global Gifts' philosophy.
If business do begin charging the fees, customers can avoid them by paying with cash or debit card.
Read more: http://fox59.com/2013/01/29/credit-card-users-could-face-checkout-fee/#ixzz2JMF6FjM3
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