Petrol stations not accept Credit card

[Ccssgm]

M'sian drivers fume over petrol stations' no-credit card push

 

GEORGE TOWN - MOTORISTS throughout Malaysia were left fuming and confused on Tuesday after 400 petrol stations in the northern region decided to stop accepting payments by credit card from Wednesday as the charges are cutting their profit margins.

Motorists are angry that they have to pay by cash, especially when they are now paying more for their fuel.

 

Chaos broke out in several towns in Sabah and Sarawak as panicked vehicle owners rushed to petrol stations to fill up after receiving irresponsible SMSes that petrol stations were closing for three days.

 

Vehicle owners in the peninsula were also worried after receiving similar untrue SMSes of petrol stations closing.

 

Motorists are angry over the sudden move by petrol stations in Penang, Kedah and Perlis to refuse payment by credit and fleet cards.

 

The decision was made following a meeting in Butterworth at 3.30pm on Tuesday afer the Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia sent out a notice to 3,200 members nationwide advising them to refuse all cards.

 

More than 400 stations in the northern region decided to enforce the move and started refusing the payment from midnight.

 

In the meeting, Mobil Stations Malaysia deputy president Roslan Jamaludin said petrol station operators could no longer shoulder the burden of the card charges.

 

'We lose nearly 50 per cent of our profit to card transactions. How are we going to cut costs if everyone uses cards for their purchase?' he asked.

 

He added that operators took this 'business decision' for 'long-term survival' and to highlight their plight to the Government.

 

In response to the motorists' concerns, the Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia gave the assurance that petrol stations are not going to close.

 

Mr Wahid said the association was currently discussing with Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad over issues concerning credit card charges.

 

Petrol stations had to pay credit card charges to banks amounting to 1 per cent of every transaction.

 

This means with the increase in fuel prices, credit card charges for one litre of petrol was now 2.7 sen (S$0.011) instead of 1.92 sen previously.

 

However, the profit margin for petrol station owners is based on a commission of each litre sold. That commission has not been increased despite the increase in petrol pump prices.

 

Esso Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia president Alang Zari Ishak also assured motorists that Esso petrol stations would not close in protest.

 

Irate motorist Zafran Zakri Mohamad, 37, said the petrol station operators should not be heartless.

 

'We are struggling to cope with the recent increase in fuel price. We thought we could depend on credit cards when we run out of cash,' he fumed.

 

'But now we cannot not even use credit cards. And to impose such a ruling at a time of month when most people are running out of cash is really unacceptable.'

 

Car rental agent Kintan Natasuri Aziz, 40, who uses the fleet card, said the new ruling would pose much inconvenience to him, as he has to travel outstation to send and pick up cars for rental.

 

'We also do not carry much cash,' he said.

 

Another motorist, Ms Maisarah Khairul Anuar, 27, said that if petrol station operators were unhappy with the interest imposed by the banks then they should take it up with banks.

 

'They should not make consumers suffer,' she said.

 

Mr Ryan Tang, 31, a graphic designer, said it was not right to immediately implement such decision without giving prior notice to customers.

 

'What if we run out of petrol after midnight when the ATMs are closed and we cannot withdraw money?' said Mr Tang. - The Star/ANN.

 

Singapore will Follow Or Not ?

[Xtremegal]

Poor Malaysian Drivers!

[Ccssgm]

Sg Petrol Station Give More Discount when Use Credit Card

[Xtremegal]

Totally agree but wont save much with the hike in petrol price...stil sweat for Singaporean driver

[Silver_z]

Card charges eats up 50% profit... That means they mark up 6% nia? SG UOB can give 5% cash rebate means they charge petrol station about 10%. And these station can give 3% discount, means their mark up like 20%-30% lor.

Edited June 25, 2008 by Silver_z

[Ccssgm]

Rather than No Discount at ALL

[Ccssgm]

Maybe the Bank dun Charge the Petrol Station Service Charge

[Xtremegal]

Yalo... Save $1 a day, you are richer by $1... Think next time i will have to learn to take public transport liao... then im richer by $$$

[Ccssgm]

[Guyver]

That's the thing about human ..... we are adaptable ...

 

In Sg ... we kana high tax liao ... 3%-5% discount ... we also happy ...

[Ccssgm]

Correct

[Ccssgm]

Plans to replace credit cards with Touch 'n Go

 

Can't use your credit card at petrol stations any more? Not to worry.

 

You might be able to use your Touch 'n Go card to fill up.

 

Touch 'n Go Sdn Bhd (TNGSB) chief operating officer Hasni Zarina Mohamed Khan said the company was exploring mechanisms to enable motorists to use the facility at petrol stations.

 

"We currently only have an agreement with Caltex for the use of our cards in their retail stores.

 

"We are looking at moving forward and using the card at pumps as well," she said.

 

Hasni was speaking at a press conference after the launch of a Touch 'n Go facility for Kuala Lumpur International Airport's parking zone.

 

Also present at the conference was TNGSB chairman Datuk Yahya Yaacob and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd senior operations general manager Datuk Azmi Murad.

 

The company is expecting some 360,000 transactions a year, amounting to about RM2.88 million, from KLIA parking zone users.

 

Hasni also said TNGSB was in discussions with several oil companies, but declined to reveal which, adding that discussions were still at the "exploratory" stage.

 

Petroleum Dealers Association yesterday advised its members to accept only cash for transactions because operators could no longer afford the charges imposed by credit card companies.

 

However, association president Abdul Wahid Bidin said each operator would have the final say on whether or not to accept credit cards.

 

When informed by the New Straits Times that Touch 'n Go cards could be used, Wahid's response was lukewarm.

 

"Let's see who will be burdened by the commission that is charged.

 

"What we are angry about is that we dealers are bearing the one per cent commission for credit card transactions.

 

"If it is the same system for Touch 'n Go cards, there's no difference, is there?"

 

Wahid said the commission, taken from a consumer's point of view was not much.

 

"One per cent of his petrol cost would be about RM400 to RM500.

 

"But a dealer would have to pay between RM6,000 and RM21,000 depending on his volume," he said.

 

[rolleyes]