One thing that I can't stand in this newly electronic world are "convenience" fees. For years the encouragement has been to use debit and credit cards more frequently (for safety, ease of use, etc.), but now there are businesses that want to charge extra for that convenience. Similar to how ATM fees over time began to sky rocket (really, $3 to use the ATM, plus charges from my own bank? Sounds lovely), the debit/credit card convenience fee is now rearing its ugly head.

How absurd are the charges? Well, for instance, a pizza place recently informed me that there would be an additional $1.50 fee if I used a credit card. And no, this wasn't a little mom and pop pizza place, this was a national chain* (hint: this isn't Rome, but they do act like a Caesar). The gentleman behind the counter calmly explained to me that I could go to the gas station next door, purchase a drink and get cash back from that establishment. Talk about service!

Need another example? I went to a postal store (one of the ones that charges 10x as much as the Post Office) and was informed that I couldn't use my debit/credit card because the transaction wasn't $5. Again, since I never keep cash, I was stuck. The gentleman's idea at this point? He had me write an I.O.U. Yes, an actual $2.80 loan from a postal supply store in the sleepy town of Phoenix, what with their 4 million people and all.

Now don't get me wrong, I understand why these places charge additional fees, or require a minimum purchase. They usually get charged a percentage of the transaction, plus a flat fee from their credit card processor. Maybe I should be complaining about the credit card companies that charge customers interest as well as the storeowner, but let's face it - that's not going to change. At the very least these places should display a sign that clearly states their policies, but preferably they should stop the racket altogether. All these policies do is encourage me, and hopefully you as well, to spend my money elsewhere. We're already being taxed during payroll, taxed when we purchase goods, "taxed" by the credit card company (through their wonderful array of fees), so surely we can do without a "convenience fee" when using a debit/credit card instead of cash.

So there you have it; that's my two cents, but unfortunately I don't keep cash so hopefully you'll take an I.O.U. as well.

* If you couldn't guess it, the pizza place was Little Caesar's.