2017 Dining Plan

Using cash or debit cards and you're leaving 2% on the table. Credit cards are the way to go. Use someone else's money for free for 30 days and get free miles/points/cash back etc.

While failing to realize that the increased usage of the card 'convenience' (hardly convenient since the chip reader disastrous rollout) causes retailers to raise their prices across the board to compensate for the access charges from credit card companies... what a great deal!! 2%!!!! (There's a reason they'll give you 2% back on all your purchases, they charge the retailer more than 2% to process the transaction, and the retailer adds that to their markup for you to pay)

You are just compensating another third party in between your transactions with the retailer.

That's ok with me. The cost of goods is the same whether you pay with a card, cash or check, if retailers increase prices across the board to make up the 2%, everyone pays regardless of method of payment. Cards aren't going away so the 2% premium is not going away either.

Chip transactions are just about as fast as mag stripe transactions now, they seem to have worked the bugs out. It takes about 10 seconds to pay with a card at, let's say, McDonald's compared to maybe a minute of someone fumbling with cash, cashier counting cash and then counting change to give back to the customer.

Plus, money is about the filthiest thing you can touch before eating. An article I read on the subject stated that paper money has more bacteria than an average toilet and you should always wash your hands after handling money. An excerpt from the article - "In one government study, 94% of $1 bills were harboring bacteria, including some that can cause pneumonia, blood infections, diarrhea, and urinary tract and respiratory system infections. Research has revealed that the flu virus can survive up to 17 days on banknotes when accompanied by mucus, which is doubly disgusting."

Until January 2013 it was illegal to surcharge credit card transactions, thanks to lobbying by the credit card companies.
Retailers have been reluctant to add surcharges because transaction processors have given concessions in the fees they charge
However with the ever increasing pressure on margins more retailers have been adding convenience fees and transaction surcharges, this is predicted to become more common as retailers struggle to remain profitable and consumers continued acceptance of surcharges for convenience increases.

Thanks Pete, you pretty much summed up what I was going to say. Cards aren't going anywhere, so why not be on the receiving end?

XS, posts like yours are the reason why I stopped posting here years ago and just lurk. I don't have a problem with people who have differing points of view, but why the need to be condescending? You don't know me from Adam yet somehow you're familiar with my knowledge (or lack thereof, in your opinion) of credit card processing and merchant fees and why rewards credit cards exist.

While I'll agree 2% isn't a huge number it's still something and definitely adds up. Spend $25,000 on a card throughout the course of the year and that's $500. Who doesn't want an extra $500 a year?

I mentioned debit cards in my post in addition to cash because it seemed like most of the previous posters were saying they pay with debit cards. There's not that many debit cards that offer rewards and unless the transactions are pin-based, they are processed just like credit cards and the merchant still pays the fees.

Pete said:

Chip transactions are just about as fast as mag stripe transactions now, they seem to have worked the bugs out. It takes about 10 seconds to pay with a card at, let's say, McDonald's compared to maybe a minute of someone fumbling with cash, cashier counting cash and then counting change to give back to the customer.

I'm not at McDonald's, but I can tell you that I can sell three Box Office transactions in the time it takes to process one credit card. Typically I have all the change back in the customer's hand before the printer finishes printing their tickets. We haven't added chip readers yet because the upfront cost and increase in transaction time is a huge detractor for the investment.

Pete said:

Chip transactions are just about as fast as mag stripe transactions now, they seem to have worked the bugs out. It takes about 10 seconds to pay with a card at, let's say, McDonald's compared to maybe a minute of someone fumbling with cash, cashier counting cash and then counting change to give back to the customer.

While I rarely carry cash, I haven't had the same experience with chip readers. It might only be an increase of, say, 7 or 8 seconds, but when swiping used to take around 10 seconds (if that) previously, that's nearly double the time per transaction. Though I do agree it's improved greatly since first rolling out.

^Even with the increase in time, I'm not truly inconvenienced IMO. I'd rather have a more secure payment method than being swiped, I never understood why we were behind the rest of the world with this standard.

Agreed on the increased security being worth it, though we're still way behind: chip and sign < chip and pin.

Scott Cameron said:

Using cash or debit cards and you're leaving 2% on the table. Credit cards are the way to go. Use someone else's money for free for 30 days and get free miles/points/cash back etc.

This! The wife and I put everything we can on the credit card. Got a free $700 last year. Also, debit cards give people direct access to your checking account (or whatever account you have it linked to). Credit cards are the way to go if you can.

This discussion just makes me appreciate the times I get to use Apple Pay even more. Being able to use my watch to pay for something in an instant without ever taking out my wallet is fantastic.

Android Pay also, I use it when possible.

Chips are just credit card fraud theater! ;)

There is my chuckle for the day - thanks Thabto!

I didn't want to start a new thread just for this question: Has the north/east side of Sky Ride Refreshments opened yet for the season? It never seems to be open when I've been to the park and I am looking forward to trying the new Roots sandwiches offered there. If it has been open and I've just missed it, can anyone describe how large the sandwiches are and how they taste?

Last week it was open, as well as the mac n cheese on the other side. Haven't tried either one yet.

It was open yesterday. Didn't try it out yet though.

Tried the pork Mac+Cheese. I thought it was very good, one of my favorites at the park.

hmm :-/ I guess I am just hitting it at the wrong times. I've seen the mac and cheese side open, but the sandwiches side has always been shuttered.

I did get the mac and cheese with bacon a week ago Sunday from the spot on the trail between Red Garter and the MF tunnel and it wasn't bad. It was a nice sized portion, but the worker that gave it to us wasn't 100% sure what he was doing and I wonder if he put too much in the bowl! I know the first few weeks that the workers at Lakeside were putting too much perch on those sandwiches- which has since been corrected. :-(

I ate at the Sky Ride Root sandwich side yesterday, and the Mac and cheese side the day before. Overall, the Mac and cheese is a decent change of pace and I enjoyed the pulled pork Mac and cheese. The Philly cheese steak is a decent change up option, about as good as coasters hamburgers.

The Root sandwiches are a huge miss! I ate the shredded beef and it came on a small sesame seed bun with maybe 3 ounces of meat. It tasted fine, but the sandwich seriously reminded of cafeteria food. That being, a small disappointing portion that makes you wonder if it was possible for the restaurant to care less than they currently do. Considering the regular price of the basket is around $15 I can understand why they have been closed so much.