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

[adnj]

Storm in a tea cup.
It will be over soon.

^^^ This

[silent_riot]

I like to use self service because I can get out of the car and check out whatever baytees it have filling gas.

[Dave]

Same here as I always fill up

[*KRONIK*]

I like to use self service because I can get out of the car and check out whatever baytees it have filling gas.

X2
Cuz them attendants does spill gas sometimes and rough up the cap and lid.

[Redman]

nah, this is BS. costs have increased, granted, but by that much? Gas is somthing that is of high demand, people need to drive cars, and firms need to use vehicles. These people just being scampish and dotish that's all.
Good on NP for keeping it the same, nothing the Petroleum Association can do to them.

Well the INDUSTRY needs to be restructured.

To enter the market you would need to
Acquire the land
Sign a supply agreement
Then apply for a MOE license.

THEN and only then you can build.

The above takes years-after you acquire the land.

i think Brentwood was close to 10 years of waiting and cajoling

So there are big barriers to entry.
And significant uncertainty about the approvals process.

Your post also highlights the issue of individual dealers competing with NP who is also their supplier.
And capable of negotiating better rates from FCB the other state enterprise.

What is happening is that we are regressing back to state controlled and distributed fuel and the FACT IS THAT ANY MARGIN INCREASE TO THE RETAIL DEALERS WILL COME FROM THE WHOLESALERS...NP AND UNIPET.

So NP has a vested interest to maintain the status quo.....and customer migration from Dealer owned and operated sites will come to them mostly.

Less private dealers means less innovation and less competition.

The business could be beneficial to all stake holders-if modernized.

[Dizzy28]

I find it hard to believe people in Trinidad operate truly cashless and are so disturbed by this. Do you all not go to the market? Or you all prefer to go Massy/Tru Valu and pay 3-4 times the price for vegetables but be able to use a CC. What about your friendly neighbourhood bakery or giving your kids an allowance? Just take out a little extra cash a month and keep for gas (you must know your average gas consumption).

I see on Facebook someone wrote they need to use CC to pay for gas as their paycheck/money runs out before month end. Ya'll have bigger problems that need sorting out than gas stations not accepting electronic payments!!!!

[viedcht]

I find it hard to believe people in Trinidad operate truly cashless and are so disturbed by this. Do you all not go to the market? Or you all prefer to go Massy/Tru Valu and pay 3-4 times the price for vegetables but be able to use a CC. What about your friendly neighbourhood bakery or giving your kids an allowance? Just take out a little extra cash a month and keep for gas (you must know your average gas consumption).

I see on Facebook someone wrote they need to use CC to pay for gas as their paycheck/money runs out before month end. Ya'll have bigger problems that need sorting out than gas stations not accepting electronic payments!!!!

×2

[adnj]

To enter the market you would need to
Acquire the land
Sign a supply agreement
Then apply for a MOE license.
THEN and only then you can build.
The above takes years-after you acquire the land.
i think Brentwood was close to 10 years of waiting and cajoling

I would have to believe that you need environmental approvals to bury a petroleum products tank. There are usually issues associated with water, sewer and natural gas lines, also.

I don't believe that there will be a restructuring of the way that the businesses are granted licenses. I do believe that price controls will be lifted so that when/if crude oil prices rise there will not be another episode of inadvertent subsidies due to price fixing. If that happens, the market will likely push out the smaller, less profitable vendors in favor of the self-serve convenience/fast food vendors that own multiple locations.

Trinidad has current gasoline pricing that is 80% of U.S. pricing and diesel is priced at 50% of U.S.

http://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/#hl46

[fokhan_96]

When last you went in a gas station and see a pump attendant ? I not saying that there aren't gas stations that have pump attendant but most are only man by a few cashier. So I and everybody else is doing the work of the pump attendant for free.

When last you went to a gas station and some ask you if you want your wind screen clean or check your oil level ? And still they can't make a profit without cutting down on staff who else is there to get rid off ? Maybe one cashier instead of 2

Some of those pump attendants select who to assist. My wife and I go to the same gas stations to full gas. Almost all the time I have to fill my own gas... However , she hardly ever has to fill her own gas.

[RBphoto]

I see on Facebook someone wrote they need to use CC to pay for gas as their paycheck/money runs out before month end.

This^^^^

[Thread]

I even walk with a little pouch of coins so I don't have to break a dollar to pay 49cents change (cause let's face it, a dollar broken is a dollar lost). People have actually complained about me taking 30 seconds to check for exact change, but it actually takes about a minute to do most CC transactions counting the time it takes to sign then print receipts. This ole fart ain't business with children and their debt loving ways. All them electronic thing is of the devil. You get about $200.00 back in points if you minus the fees that you pay if you use your credit card for EVERYTHING for an entire year.. so what's the point?

#Ishootfilm #CRT >>> #LCD

[Redman]

To enter the market you would need to
Acquire the land
Sign a supply agreement
Then apply for a MOE license.

THEN and only then you can build.

The above takes years-after you acquire the land.

i think Brentwood was close to 10 years of waiting and cajoling

I would have to believe that you need environmental approvals to bury a petroleum products tank. There are usually issues associated with water, sewer and natural gas lines, also.

I don't believe that there will be a restructuring of the way that the businesses are granted licenses. I do believe that price controls will be lifted so that when/if crude oil prices rise there will not be another episode of inadvertent subsidies due to price fixing. If that happens, the market will likely push out the smaller, less profitable vendors in favor of the self-serve convenience/fast food vendors that own multiple locations.

Trinidad has current gasoline pricing that is 80% of U.S. pricing and diesel is priced at 50% of U.S.

http://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/#hl46

An thats the point-the 10 years is BEFORE Design and Construction really starts....so add the EMA et al

The fact remains that if you competing with your supplier-who has all the controls that NP does-you take what you get -in this case the MOE/NP and the Banks are ignoring the PDA-so they act.


If we float the gas prices-TnT will have to adapt to that uncertainty and the Retail fuel Industry will have to adapt to competitive pricing ....smaller stations will close-forcing the consumer to use less convenient stations leaving big geographic areas with out a station.

[adnj]

If we float the gas prices-TnT will have to adapt to that uncertainty and the Retail fuel Industry will have to adapt to competitive pricing ....smaller stations will close-forcing the consumer to use less convenient stations leaving big geographic areas with out a station.

I don't believe that there would be much of a problem with planning fuel use based on pricing. Most local prices are market driven and it seems to work well.

Smaller stations in remote locations could justifiably charge more to service customers where there is little competition and return to profitability with less revenue.

This is simple free market economics. Price controls are sometimes the reason why you have shortages. Venezuela fixes prices and sells gasoline at 1¢/liter (US) and electricity at 3.1¢/kWh (US) but there is a shortage of both across the country.

[Redman]

Keep in mind that the fuel prices we pay would be linked to WTI and the volatility there of.
Thats what removal of the subsidy means

Petrotrin bench marks their output prices against Platts.
Which trades actively daily.


we have NO experience in that type of environment.

[pugboy]

How much more could a small station really charge ?
Trinidad small so a person will always be within driving distance of cheaper station

[desifemlove]

I find it hard to believe people in Trinidad operate truly cashless and are so disturbed by this. Do you all not go to the market? Or you all prefer to go Massy/Tru Valu and pay 3-4 times the price for vegetables but be able to use a CC. What about your friendly neighbourhood bakery or giving your kids an allowance? Just take out a little extra cash a month and keep for gas (you must know your average gas consumption).

I see on Facebook someone wrote they need to use CC to pay for gas as their paycheck/money runs out before month end. Ya'll have bigger problems that need sorting out than gas stations not accepting electronic payments!!!!

i use card at massy stores all the time. but then at the parlour i does only buy small ting, that $20 note is no scene. for small goods, cash is fine, larger goods it's better imho to use card. the way i see it is that having a Linx link surely doesn't break the bank, they are being dishonest.

[silent_riot]

From NP's FB page

https://www.facebook.com/trinidadnp/pos ... 8188422516

NP wishes to advise all of our customers that electronic payments are still being accepted at the following service stations:

NO. SERVICE STATION ADDRESS

1 ISLAND PROPERTY OWNERS Western Main Rd. Chaguaramas
2 NP CARENAGE Western Main Road, Carenage Carenage
3 T’DAD YACHT CLUB Western Main Rd. Bay Shore
4 NP RICHPLAIN Richplain Road, Diego Martin Diego Martin
5 NP FOUR ROADS Four Roads, Diego Martin Diego Martin
6 WADE MITCHELL 18 Boissiere Village Maraval
7 NP BOISSIERE VILLAGE William Street, Boissiere No. 1, Maraval Maraval
8 NP MARACAS BAY Maracas Bay, Maracas Maracas
9 NP TRAGARETE ROAD Tragarete Road, Port of Spain Port-of-Spain
10 NP RICHMOND STREET Richmond Street, Port of Spain Port of Spain
11 A. NUNES 135 Belmont Circular Rd. Belmont
12 T&T POLICE SERVICE SOCIAL & WELFARE ASSOCIATION Cor. Mc Allister St. & EMR Laventille
13 NP CHARLOTTE ST. Corner Carlotte & New Streets, POS Port-of-Spain
14 ST. CHRISTOPHER TAXICAB COOPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED Wrightson Rd. Port-of-Spain
15 NP MORVANT Eastern Main Road, Morvant Morvant
16 NP BEETHAM TTPSS&WA. Beetham Highway Sea Lots
17 STUART MC INTYRE Cor. 8th Ave. & 5th St. Barataria
18 NP BARATARIA WEST 141-143 Eastern Main Road, Barataria Barataria
19 NP BARATARIA EAST Eastern Main Road, Barataria Barataria
20 ARANGUEZ SERVICE STATION Aranguez Main Road San Juan
21 NP SADDLE ROAD Saddle Road, San Juan San Juan
22 DE PAUL GUPPY LP# 53 El Socorro San Juan
23 NP TUNAPUNA Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna Tunapuna
24 NP TACARIGUA D'Andrade Street, Tacarigua Tacarigua
25 DEORAJ JAGGERNAUTH Eastern Main Rd. D’abadie
26 ALLAN LEE HEUNG 623 John Shaw Ave. & EMR - Mausica Arima
27 NP HOLLIS AVENUE 15-16 Hollis Avenue, Arima Arima
28 NP VALENCIA Eastern Main Road, Valencia Valencia
29 NP MANZANILLA LP110 Eastern Main Road Manzanilla
30 NP TALPARO 225 Talparo Main Rd, Brazil Village San Rafael
NO. SERVICE STATION ADDRESS
31 NP TRIAL STREET - SEA BLAST STORES LIMITED Trial Street, Chaguanas Chaguanas
32 NP CHAGUANAS - NEWSERV COMPANY LIMITED Chaguanaus Main Road Chaguanas
33 NP CHASE VILLAGE - NP CHASE GAS LIMITED Southern Main Road, Chase Village Chase Village
34 NP GASPARILLO Bonne Aventure Road, Gasparillo Gasparillo
35 NP FREEPORT - RONSAN TRADING LIMITED Freeport Junction, Freeport Freeport
36 WINSTON & MARVA PETERS Southern Main Rd. Couva
37 NIGEL BABWAH Bay Rd. Orange Valley Couva
38 MRS. E MAHABIR LP# 47 Main Rd. Tabaquite
39 KUMAR RAMJATTAN Beaumont Park Point A-Pierre
40 PARAMOUNT SERVICE STATION 238-240 Southern Main Road Marabella
41 NP ROYAL ROAD Circular Road, San Fernando San Fernando
42 RADICA SAITH 4 Southern Main Rd. Vistabella
43 NOBBEE'S, VISTBELLA 111 Pointe-a-Pierre Road, Vistabella
44 NP CROSS CROSSING Cor. Cipero St. & Lady Hailes Ave., San Fernando San Fernando
45 NP DUNCAN VILLAGE Duncan Village, San Fernando San Fernando
46 NP DEBE Siparia Erin Road, Debe Debe
47 NP SIPARIA #77-79 High Street, Siparia Siparia
48 NP SANTA FLORA Siparia Erin Road, Santa Flora Santa Flora
NO. SERVICE STATION ADDRESS
49 NP ERIN Siparia Erin Road, Erin Erin
50 NP RUSHWORTH STREET Rushworth St. & Bye-Pass, San Fernando San Fernando
51 CHARLES QUAN YOUNG New Grant Princes Town
52 RADICA PERSAD 327 Naparima Mayaro Road Princes Town
53 NIGEL AUSTIN St. Marie’s Village Cedros
54 GEORGE BALFOR/ HOCHOY CHARLES Halfax St. Plymouth Tobago
55 TOBAGO TAXI CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD. Milford Rd. Tobago
56 LYNN FERREIRA Auchenskoech Rd. Cambee Tobago
57 CHARLOTTESVILLE (T’go) FISHING CO-OP Charlottesville Tobago
58 RANADAAN Milford Road Tobago
59 NP ORANGE HILL Orange Hill Road, Spring Garden, Tobago Tobago
60 NP ROXBOROUGH Corner Windward Road & Parlatuvier Road, Roxborough Tobago
61 ROMEO BROS Roxborough Tobago


We are asking our valued customers to kindly notify us at our hotline 800-NPMC, if they have any difficulty paying with either debit or credit cards at any of the stations listed above.

NP is aware of the concerns of the Petroleum Dealers Association; however we believe this stance is not in the best interest of the public and the Company reiterates the call to all of its dealers to accept electronic transactions to ensure that the public is adequately served.

[Redman]

NP is aware of the concerns of the Petroleum Dealers Association; however we believe this stance is not in the best interest of the public and the Company reiterates the call to all of its dealers to accept electronic transactions to ensure that the public is adequately served.

And this states NP real position as far as the owner dealers are concerned.
and they would be the ones with capital at risk.

[pete]

Colm instructed NP that they have to take the cards at the government owned stations and they will be looking at the terms of the private gas stations' contracts to see if they are violating them.

[bluesclues]

Colm instructed NP that they have to take the cards at the government owned stations and they will be looking at the terms of the private gas stations' contracts to see if they are violating them.

He vex dey inno.

How dare they squeeze the bankers balls.

[racedriverpro]

When last you went in a gas station and see a pump attendant ? I not saying that there aren't gas stations that have pump attendant but most are only man by a few cashier. So I and everybody else is doing the work of the pump attendant for free.

When last you went to a gas station and some ask you if you want your wind screen clean or check your oil level ? And still they can't make a profit without cutting down on staff who else is there to get rid off ? Maybe one cashier instead of 2

Guppys in San Juan have like 5 attendants assisting you at the pump.

Doh understand how ppl does feel comfortable buying gas in that run down place.

[De Dragon]

When last you went in a gas station and see a pump attendant ? I not saying that there aren't gas stations that have pump attendant but most are only man by a few cashier. So I and everybody else is doing the work of the pump attendant for free.

When last you went to a gas station and some ask you if you want your wind screen clean or check your oil level ? And still they can't make a profit without cutting down on staff who else is there to get rid off ? Maybe one cashier instead of 2

Guppys in San Juan have like 5 attendants assisting you at the pump.

Doh understand how ppl does feel comfortable buying gas in that run down place.

The gas run down too?

[Redman]

people generally by closest to home or to their place of work.

[De Dragon]

people generally by closest to home or to their place of work.

Agreed, maybe we will become like the US, driving all over to save on gas?

[Dizzy28]

When last you went in a gas station and see a pump attendant ? I not saying that there aren't gas stations that have pump attendant but most are only man by a few cashier. So I and everybody else is doing the work of the pump attendant for free.

When last you went to a gas station and some ask you if you want your wind screen clean or check your oil level ? And still they can't make a profit without cutting down on staff who else is there to get rid off ? Maybe one cashier instead of 2

Guppys in San Juan have like 5 attendants assisting you at the pump.

Doh understand how ppl does feel comfortable buying gas in that run down place.

This is a place where they know what I take (Its always fill up Premium) without me even telling them, they serve me with a smile (some of those others stations is leggo beast working there), they always take fleet card which is what I use to purchase (even if fleet down they still give me the gas and hold the fleet card) and their air pump always working.

I could live with the run down nature of the place.

[desifemlove]

Imbert said NP IS to keep taking card payments...on CNC3 jus now.

[Redman]

Maybe we should ventilate the entire supply chain s margins.

Petrotrin sells to the wholesalers-NP and Unipet. (W)
Wholesalers sell to the retail licensees.(R).

Who resell to us.

The R s have stated their issue with their margin....and done it poorly as of now.

The wholesalers make their margin and this would be the their cause for discrediting the PDA since any increase in the retail margin will come from:
1) the Wholesale margin.
or
2)An increase in price to the public.

NP the state enterprise is defending its margin by leveraging its position between the GOVERNMENT and said the supplier of the PDA stations.

The local sales of gas mostly pass through NP and Unipet as wholesalers and into the retail network
Diesel has bulk suppliers that buy from the wholesalers and then supply direct to big customers.
I am not aware of this happening with gas.So I assume 100% of gas sold locally by the refinery passes through the gas stations.
Jan-Mar 2016
PaP Local Refinery sales(from MOE Consolidated Bulletin)
Gas-1,170,285 BBLs or 186,075,315 Liters of Gas.
Super is $3.11 per liter the dollar value of Gas sold Jan to Mar 2016 is $578,694,229 in gas sales.
or 6.5M per day.(ignoring the Premium price)

If the dealers get 3 cents per liter in a margin increase or rebate(unipet used to rebate the dealers) it will satisfactorily counter act the REVENUE based tax increase in GF and BL...and they will be cash flow positive on sales.
It gives the dealer the fiscal space to deal with the new taxes.
the GF and BL take about 25% of the Retailers gross margin.
Off the top.

3 cents a liter is....$5,582,259 on the total $578M in sales.

yes thats 5.6M TTD for the 3 month period.

Sadly the reality is clouded by,
Poor delivery of the PDA's case
NPs towing the Govt line and throwing the retail market to the wolves
The wholesalers defending their business

[daas]

I find it hard to believe people in Trinidad operate truly cashless and are so disturbed by this. Do you all not go to the market? Or you all prefer to go Massy/Tru Valu and pay 3-4 times the price for vegetables but be able to use a CC. What about your friendly neighbourhood bakery or giving your kids an allowance? Just take out a little extra cash a month and keep for gas (you must know your average gas consumption).

I see on Facebook someone wrote they need to use CC to pay for gas as their paycheck/money runs out before month end. Ya'll have bigger problems that need sorting out than gas stations not accepting electronic payments!!!!

I speak for myself when I say that 90% of the things I pay for can be done and I prefer to do with my CC. I simply don't like to carry cash because I don't need to. And my premium gas bill is too high to constantly be withdrawing cash (anything upwards of $100 I usually pay for with CC).

Also the world is moving in that direction (virtual money). This cash-only thing is backward and archaic.

[pugboy]

u saying $5.6m was earned by ALL the stations in the entire country for 3 months of selling super gas ?

this is not an easy issue to fix though, from the banks point of view, most credit cards have some user incentive features builtin eg travel miles, 1% cash back etc
bank will be very unwilling to upset the whole apple cart by reducing their merchant take.

[Redman]

But, the move towards virtual money will only make sense if it is cost effective.

In this context the merchant is forced to pay more than his entire gross margin for a credit card sale.
On Premium you make 2% but pay 3.9% between Credit Card ,GF and BL.

[adnj]

But, the move towards virtual money will only make sense if it is cost effective.
In this context the merchant is forced to pay more than his entire gross margin for a credit card sale.
On Premium you make 2% but pay 3.9% between Credit Card ,GF and BL.

I believe that your statement is inaccurate.

-- Green fund is 0.3%, business levy is 0.6% of gross sales in excess of $200k.
-- Current pricing per liter is Premium $5.75, Super $3.58, Diesel $2.30
-- Margin per liter is 17¢ for super (4.75%) and premium (2.96%), 12¢ for diesel (5.22%).
-- Last year's margin on super was 6.30% and diesel was 8.00%.

Comparative margin for volume businesses such as gasoline stations and grocery stores is 1% to 3% throughout the developed world. I seriously doubt that the credit card fees are outside of the 0.75% to 2% range. By comparison to similar businesses, fuel stations are operating on a very generous margin.