No more credit card payment at gas stations.... Cash only!

[adnj]

Cash doesnt encourage laundering....

Cash businesses are often used to exchange small bills for large bills to reduce the mass of the cash holding and make the money easier to transport for further transaction.

An increase in cash at a store also increases risks of theft of bank deposits, robbery of customers and pilfering by the cashiers.

I don't believe that this move has much to do with the PDA trying to muscle NP or the banks. I believe that the PDA is moving to reduce the number of employees. Self serve stations in North America don't have an outside attendant but you see them all of the time in Trinidad.

I believe that the dealers want to cut staff further and place the blame on someone else.

[teems1]

While it is true that gas stations only make cents per liter of fuel sold, a large number of liters are sold per day.

Fuel is still subsidized by the taxpayer so if the gas station owners are willing to inconvenience the public, we should really see how much the cc charge is hurting the bottom line.

It's easier to feel sorry for a business owner who is barely scraping by as opposed to one who is making millions a year.

With the margins and expenses as they are- many of them are barely scraping by.

Volume does not necessarily equate to profit or the dot com bubble would have ended differently and Duane would be driving a(nother?) Veryon.

4% margin with transaction fees AND top line REVENUE (not Profit based) taxes mean that that 4 % is cut in half.

Most of the stations are operated by private people but owned by NP.
NP charges franchise fees,rent, and whatever else.
So it isnt about what the perception of the owners(a minority in the business) is.

The question is whether we should expect ANYBODY to stay in biz and lose money.
would you?

Cash management isnt relevant-they would have systems in place to handle it and as such would just have to scale up slightly.

In this case it's more about the PR.

If the statement had come out saying:

"X number of gas stations had to close down in the past Y years. Gas station owner A only has revenue of B to run his entire operation leaving him with profit of C which is unsustainable etc."

Then the public would maybe understand,

But to just come out and say no more electronic payments as it is taking too much of their revenue, without giving any figures whatsoever just invites criticism and ole talk.

[jm3]

this is gonna be a serious shitstorm

[Redman]

I believe that the dealers want to cut staff further and place the blame on someone else.

Well I agree-but they dont need an excuse.
here its better to have attendants-you increase the number of cars you serve..
but you need a margin to be able to pay staff.

Keep in mind that this issue is not NEW....the margin was discussed with Patrick Mannings admin, with Dooks personally and whoever since then.

the newest addition are the GF and BL increases that pushed many of these stations into losses.

[viedcht]

yeah, banks will simply increase "service fees" somewhere else to get it back. Guess who taking the hit? Next, retailers will have add a $5 surcharge every card transaction by their customers to try to offset the loss of using a linx machine. Nothing will change unless banking laws in TT are revamped. And then banks could stop fcuking closing at 2pm everyday in this banana republic!!

Banks really have it nice in this place

[viedcht]

Those gas stations owners scared that they might have to downgrade to prados

Lol exactly

[Redman]

its arcane that the world is going cash less-and one of the BIGGEST industries in the country regressing ....cuz its too expensive to leverage technology

smh.

[baigan]

Lol look at this shitstorm just cause y'all gotta pay for gas with cash

[S_2NR]

other countries moving towards cashless. tap to pay at gas stations - card, apple pay, etc. and trinidad is going back to cash.

[Dizzy28]

So just received a mail from Scotia r.e. Fleet Card and they are unsure as to how the PDA would deal with fleet cards however they hope its not with the same response as to CC/Linx.

They have advised to fill up before Friday whilst they try to sort something out.

[eliteauto]

so after reading this thread I was convinced that this action by the PDA was going to affect many adversely, then the PDA states that electronic card purchases account for 12-15% of sales.

[silent_riot]

So 0.45% of their cash flow is what they are trying to circumvent with this?

[De Dragon]

so after reading this thread I was convinced that this action by the PDA was going to affect many adversely, then the PDA states that electronic card purchases account for 12-15% of sales.

That sounding suspiciously like an "out of arse to justify" kinda stat.

[aidan]

good move. fack d banks.

[eliteauto]

so after reading this thread I was convinced that this action by the PDA was going to affect many adversely, then the PDA states that electronic card purchases account for 12-15% of sales.

That sounding suspiciously like an "out of arse to justify" kinda stat.

*shrugs* tbh I see more cash purchases at gas stations than card ones, in fact bet Arima and POS there are 6 gas stations I know of with at pump card slots that work, the others require you go to the cashier where cash is faster than Linx or CC. The President was on the radio this morning, he did not do a good job of explaining why the decision was made, ppl still think it's about the bank when the issue lies with the State

[De Dragon]

so after reading this thread I was convinced that this action by the PDA was going to affect many adversely, then the PDA states that electronic card purchases account for 12-15% of sales.

That sounding suspiciously like an "out of arse to justify" kinda stat.

*shrugs* tbh I see more cash purchases at gas stations than card ones, in fact bet Arima and POS there are 6 gas stations I know of with at pump card slots that work, the others require you go to the cashier where cash is faster than Linx or CC. The President was on the radio this morning, he did not do a good job of explaining why the decision was made, ppl still think it's about the bank when the issue lies with the State

So if the Government has blanked them already, then the customer must suffer? What about that statement that it is to save worker's jobs? So much people fail to get buy in before they make decisions that affect people's normal lives. If the customer actually empathises with your cause, then a large part of your battle is won. Then again, this Government is one of proven unyieldingness, so we will have to walk around with money, so that the bandit, piper, pickpocket knows that once you're in the gas station, you've got money on you.

[eliteauto]

that argument holds no merit

1) Contrary to trinituner many ppl buy gas with cash, so the bandit, piper, pickpocket already knows there's a fair portion cash at gas stations long time. So all this "crime go increase" argument is moot, I expect the first robbery after Friday will be met wit "yuh see yuh see" as if gas stations have not been robbed before

2) Customers empathising with gas station owners? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, the customer doesn't give a fcuk, where was the empathy when gas stations were saying they may have to close and the margins were small? This issue has only gained traction because some ppl now anticipate an inconvenience, there is more discussion in the last 24hrs than the last 10 months. You don't care but asking owners to study allyuh. Oh and don't spin this into a "This Government" the issue has been brooding over more than one Government's term it's reached a head now with the increases in taxes and cost of operation

[De Dragon]

that argument holds no merit

1) Contrary to trinituner many ppl buy gas with cash, so the bandit, piper, pickpocket already knows there's a fair portion cash at gas stations long time. So all this "crime go increase" argument is moot, I expect the first robbery after Friday will be met wit "yuh see yuh see" as if gas stations have not been robbed before

2) Customers empathising with gas station owners? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, the customer doesn't give a fcuk, where was the empathy when gas stations were saying they may have to close and the margins were small? This issue has only gained traction because some ppl now anticipate an inconvenience, there is more discussion in the last 24hrs than the last 10 months. You don't care but asking owners to study allyuh. Oh and don't spin this into a "This Government" the issue has been brooding over more than one Government's term it's reached a head now with the increases in taxes and cost of operation

1) Based on your vast use of gas stations island wide? Based on your pulling and collating of the data?
2) Once again, people assume that the businessman is raking it in, but if they were shown how they are getting a raw deal, then empathy ensues. How many gas stations closed since that? None, so it all looked like crying wolf. I used the word Government meaning present, past and past past, I didn't think I had to spell that out Then again, the sensitivity of PNM supporters kinda high these days seeing as how things get rosy since Sept. 8th 2015

[eliteauto]

. Then again, this Government is one of proven unyieldingness, so we will have to walk around with money, so that the bandit, piper, pickpocket knows that once you're in the gas station, you've got money on you.

[De Dragon]

so after reading this thread I was convinced that this action by the PDA was going to affect many adversely, then the PDA states that electronic card purchases account for 12-15% of sales.

That sounding suspiciously like an "out of arse to justify" kinda stat.

*shrugs* tbh I see more cash purchases at gas stations than card ones, in fact bet Arima and POS there are 6 gas stations I know of with at pump card slots that work, the others require you go to the cashier where cash is faster than Linx or CC. The President was on the radio this morning, he did not do a good job of explaining why the decision was made, ppl still think it's about the bank when the issue lies with the State

So if the Government has blanked them already, then the customer must suffer? What about that statement that it is to save worker's jobs? So much people fail to get buy in before they make decisions that affect people's normal lives. If the customer actually empathises with your cause, then a large part of your battle is won. Then again, this Government is one of proven unyieldingness, so we will have to walk around with money, so that the bandit, piper, pickpocket knows that once you're in the gas station, you've got money on you.

Quote properly nah man. Clearly two separate points Ollour slipping bad, bad since ollour get hungry.

[silent_riot]

Unipet

http://www.looptt.com/content/unipet-st ... c-payments

[wagonrunner]

Unipet

http://www.looptt.com/content/unipet-st ... c-payments

http://www.unipet.co.tt/U/info/stations.aspx?articleid=10&zoneid=3
Brentwood and vistabella will see me more often.
there's a unipet in la romaine? where? potato trace?

[tourniquet]

So who has info on when the Unipet on Lady Hailes opening? This place jokey yes

[Pablo660]

Some people will just stay backwards and try to justify their views

I would like to see them live with lanterns instead of electricity , wash clothes on a jooking board, full water in barrel for everything, bake on a fire side, sheit in a latrine lol and full gas with cash on they donkey cart lol

[Pablo660]

On a good note

[Morpheus]

Good thing I mainly fill at Unipet Tacarigua. Swipe pon pump...

I like the option to use either method. I mainly use CC at the pump though...

[De Dragon]

Unipet Couva FTW!

[Hyperion]

Has anyone done a study on the number of vehicles on the road in TT over the past 10 years?

Just evidenced by the volume of traffic on the road 7 days a week, once could assume that the demand for fuel probably quadrupled in that time.

So the gas station owners basically made ridiculous profits in that time, now they are saying they can't survive on slimmer profit margins? Maybe is some politics playing as well.

And don't forget the gas stations who made money through the illegal bunkering of diesel.

[Redman]

Whats ridiculous profits?
Generally the EBITDA WITH a convenience store is 10-15%

The gross margin in terms of cents per liter has been fixed for more than 10 years.

You all are seeing the product of a life time of involvement in the business and the dynamics of 2nd generation ownership of the businesses.

Its a great business....but make no mistake -it fcuking hard.

[De Dragon]

Whats ridiculous profits?
Generally the EBITDA WITH a convenience store is 10-15%

The gross margin in terms of cents per liter has been fixed for more than 10 years.

You all are seeing the product of a life time of involvement in the business and the dynamics of 2nd generation ownership of the businesses.

Its a great business....but make no mistake -it fcuking hard.

I think his point is that even though the margin is fixed, the increase in sales volume should have offset it.