Credit Card Payments: “The Goal Is to Change Customer Behavior”

Paying by credit card can sometimes cost restaurants hundreds or thousands of dollars through significant transaction fees, according to the director of public and government affairs for the Association Restoration Quebec (ARQ).

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“It's 1.25% to 3.25% of the total transaction, which includes tip and taxes on your bill, so the restaurant ends up paying these fees, which can represent hundreds or thousands of dollars a month. The number of places and the volume of transactions made,” Dominique Tremblay said in an interview with Mario Dumont on Thursday.

The percentage of costs varies depending on the contract the restaurant has with particular suppliers.

“We at the association have a negotiated agreement with a partner to provide restaurants with more advantageous rates for our members,” she continued.

In Quebec, Ms. According to Tremblay, card payments represent 80 to 90% of transactions, two-thirds of which are made by credit card.

The popular Saint-Bock microbrewery announced on Wednesday that it was offering its customers a discount if they agreed to pay by debit card, which Ms. Good initiative by Tremblay.

“Changing customer behaviour, re-educating and in the long run the discount will not apply, but people may switch to debit card,” comments the director.

However, a credit card also costs its user.

“We love the use of credit cards because they often have loyalty programs that come with them, but customers should be aware that these programs are never free to use,” she said.