There must be a way to pay without fee. It might be more work for you, but it’s definitely more work for them, hence the “convenience” aspect of the fee.
In the US, some citizens go to physical locations to pay fines in coins. Hundreds of dollars in coins is very inconvenient to the establishment but they have to legally accept it. Sends a clear message to them that they suck ass.
History lesson: in 1990 I worked at a computer store. If you paid by credit card you paid the listed price. If you paid with cash, you got the CASH DISCOUNT price.
Soon MasterCard and VISA went to court to prevent the cash discount practice.
Soon after, points and cash-back credit cards came out
For insurance your bill is typically for the next month instead of the previous month like utilities. At that point it’s not a debt, so they can refuse whatever payment method they want.
Similar to how stores can refuse bills over $20 or refuse a bucket of pennies.
It’s so messed up that some states legally allow merchants to charge a “credit card fee”. Providers of services much like the above can charge if it’s a debit, credit, etc. even if they both say “Visa” on them. The concept of money in the US is so obfuscated now.
There must be a way to pay without fee. It might be more work for you, but it’s definitely more work for them, hence the “convenience” aspect of the fee.
In the US, some citizens go to physical locations to pay fines in coins. Hundreds of dollars in coins is very inconvenient to the establishment but they have to legally accept it. Sends a clear message to them that they suck ass.
History lesson: in 1990 I worked at a computer store. If you paid by credit card you paid the listed price. If you paid with cash, you got the CASH DISCOUNT price.
Soon MasterCard and VISA went to court to prevent the cash discount practice.
Soon after, points and cash-back credit cards came out
You can mail a check but postage aint free
You can always mail a check, right? Isn’t that still a thing?
According to whom? As far as I’m aware, there’s no such law in the US regarding private companies. So they can be jerks if they want to.
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-convenience-fee-or-pay-to-pay-fee-en-2126/
They can charge fees, as long as there is an alternate way to pay without a fee. Usually it’s by check in the mail.
For insurance your bill is typically for the next month instead of the previous month like utilities. At that point it’s not a debt, so they can refuse whatever payment method they want.
Similar to how stores can refuse bills over $20 or refuse a bucket of pennies.
Who cares about laws if no one will enforce them? No consumer protection, no more watch dogs, it’s all but legal now.
Which is most likely defined in their terms.
It’s so messed up that some states legally allow merchants to charge a “credit card fee”. Providers of services much like the above can charge if it’s a debit, credit, etc. even if they both say “Visa” on them. The concept of money in the US is so obfuscated now.