Look, the reason we’re seeing this again all of the sudden is because the sheep following each other’s SUVs and minivans into the stations are taking it with a smile. It makes me sick!

Here’s what the gas stations would have you believe…

1. We make less profit the more gas prices rise due to credit card fees.
2. The petroleum company only allows certain price ranges so our hands are tied.
3. Interchange fees are so high we sometimes take a net loss on fuel sales.

Ok, I’ll buy that. All true! So what? When prices were topping over four dollars a gallon we didn’t see this going on. Why weren’t you crying back then? What changed? I’ll tell you what changed, the beaten sheep have gotten so whipped they don’t bother complaining unless it’s to their sheep peers that can do no more about it than they can.

Now, back to the gas stations. I’ll give some other truths that aren’t being voiced by the gas station owners and managers.

1. The psychological differences between cash and credit cards purchases make offering the credit card option worthwhile. People tend to spend more using credit cards and even debit cards than with cash. Cash out of pocket ‘hurts‘ more so we tend to keep more of it.
2. Millions have been spent on advanced equipment to get us dependant on the ‘pay at the pump‘ option for greater security and convenience. Now they want you to pay the price per gallon for that benefit. Sound like the tobacco companies?
3. Station owners make up for lost revenue in their convenience stores with their high priced junk and grocery products including cigarettes and beer. Pay at the pump patrons are less likely to buy their garbage so they need to stick it to them at the pump. If they were better at point-of-purchase advertising and would get a little creative this wouldn’t be an issue.
4. After wholesale prices drop gas stations enjoy much higher profit margins, sometimes for weeks, before retail prices go down.
5. When wholesale prices go up gas stations enjoy higher profits again because now they are raising the price per gallon even though they’ve already paid for the gas in their tanks at a much lower cost.

The fact is that the fight between merchants and the banks issuing credit cards is real and needs addressed. Gas stations earning between 10 to 15 cents profit on a gallon of gas shouldn’t be paying banks an ever increasing percentage. This is an issue that should be settled in court or even congress, not just pushed into customers faces with a big ol’ ‘sorry, it’s outta my hands fella‘ attitude.

Oh yeah, one more thing…
That’s Right, I Said It!