It is not just the airlines that are padding the bottom line with fees, charges, and upgrades. As I paid my electric bill this morning it dawned on me the “convenience fee” I was assessed could equal real money to the utility. A quick internet search says Duke Energy has 8.6 million customers. If half of those households pay their bill online (and that’s probably conservative) the monopoly takes in an easy $5 million every month. So does the water company and the gas company and every other utility you pay.
Now I could avoid this fee by writing a check and mailing it in, but given the state of mail service -at least around here- I’m not sure I could trust it to arrive in a timely manner.
I suppose paying $1.25 to avoid writing a check, stuffing an envelope, finding a stamp, and worrying just how long it will take the postman to deliver said payment, is more convenient. It still seems like legalized theft.
4 comments:
Cheaper for them when you use a credit/debit card as well.
CuyCo Ohio - 3% poundage for paying property taxes using a credit card.
That does not make sense. The 3% (or whatever it is, in the state you live in) is the cost of the transaction. The credit card company (whatever it is) is charging the energy utility (whatever that is) - that cost, and it is added to your bill. The way the paragraph is written, it is implied that the energy company is pocketing the whole amount.
More than likely, the law doesn't allow them to simply fold the charge from the credit card company into the base charge, i.e., as "cost of doing business", because that would mean people who don't use credit cards would be subsidizing those who don't. So for the people who want to pay their gas bill (for instance) with a credit card, you get that convenience charge tacked on. It's been like this for years, TBH. And Anon above is correct; the company charging you the convenience charge isn't pocketing it.
You travel constantly. You know, for instance, that the truck stops usually offer a fuel discount for cash. It amounts to the same thing.
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