Years ago, when imposing a minimum credit card purchase was not allowed, I had the following exchange:
Me: I’d like to order a second beer.
Bartender: Sorry, we’ve already called last call.
Me: Okay, I’ll just close out my tab then. Here’s my credit card.
Bartender: You’ve only have the one beer, and we have a ten dollar minimum for credit card purchases.
Me: Cool, I’ll have that second beer then.
Bartender: But we’ve called last call.
Me: ….
Me: Listen, you can pour me a second beer and I’ll meet your minimum. Or you can ring me up for the one I had. Your choice. The alternative is I just leave.
Not really. I’ve bartended (and managed bartenders) in this state for twenty years. The only binding thing is the 2am cutoff, and that means no one is allowed to have ANY alcohol at 2am. For that reason, most places call last call 15–30 minutes before 2. Nothing out of the norm there, but he absolutely could have sold me one more beer at 1:40 saying that it has to be finished by 1:59.
Credit card minimums are a local business thing. Every credit card transaction costs the business either ~3% of the total, or some minimum amount of it’s below a certain number.
Ten dollar minimum just means that they don’t make enough profit on a sale smaller than ten to be worth it given the minimum charge per transaction.
I never said it was “illegal” to do it, it was against the terms of their credit card acceptance. They weren’t putting their business or liquor license at risk, only their ability to accept credit cards.
Ok thanks for explaining. But to be clear, you did say their credit card policy was something they got away with just like we get away with speeding in our cars, and speeding in cars is illegal & punishable by law. 🤷🏼♀️ But now you explained it was only against the terms of their credit card acceptance. They weren’t putting their business or liquor license at risk, only their ability to accept credit cards. 😄
I can see how that paints a legal picture, and you’re not wrong reading that way. I only meant that speeding is something easy to get away with even if it’s not allowed.
What exactly was I supposed to do? Both options were as a result of their self imposed limitations: the credit card minimum is allowed now, but back then it was explicitly prohibited. And while they called last call, it was still twenty minutes away from the 2am when the law prohibits more sales. (Calling last call 20-30 minutes prior to 2am is common, and I have no issue with that).
No doubt, at least on the minimum cc purchase thing. They were, however, choosing to not serve me a second beer 20 minutes before 2am. That was definitely a choice the bartender made.
This was years ago when things were cheaper and a beer was like five dollars. Obviously (because I’m in the US, I’m going to throw down a couple of bucks for a tip, but it still wouldn’t have met their minimum.
Years ago, when imposing a minimum credit card purchase was not allowed, I had the following exchange:
Me: I’d like to order a second beer.
Bartender: Sorry, we’ve already called last call.
Me: Okay, I’ll just close out my tab then. Here’s my credit card.
Bartender: You’ve only have the one beer, and we have a ten dollar minimum for credit card purchases.
Me: Cool, I’ll have that second beer then.
Bartender: But we’ve called last call.
Me: ….
Me: Listen, you can pour me a second beer and I’ll meet your minimum. Or you can ring me up for the one I had. Your choice. The alternative is I just leave.
They rang me up for one.
I think that can put them in an off spot legally, depending on their local liquor board. I understand the bartenders reluctance.
Not really. I’ve bartended (and managed bartenders) in this state for twenty years. The only binding thing is the 2am cutoff, and that means no one is allowed to have ANY alcohol at 2am. For that reason, most places call last call 15–30 minutes before 2. Nothing out of the norm there, but he absolutely could have sold me one more beer at 1:40 saying that it has to be finished by 1:59.
I know in NY and CA there are to be no sales after the cutoff time but people are usually allowed to finish what they already bought past the time.
Most definitely not the case in California. No consuming after 2am no exceptions.
Maybe it is because I go to dive bars.
If imposing a minimum credit card purchase was not allowed, how could they impose a ten dollar minimum for credit card purchases??
Credit card minimums are a local business thing. Every credit card transaction costs the business either ~3% of the total, or some minimum amount of it’s below a certain number.
Ten dollar minimum just means that they don’t make enough profit on a sale smaller than ten to be worth it given the minimum charge per transaction.
Same way speeding in your car isn’t allowed.
Therefore that alcohol establishment was running the risk of being fined by the government for their illegal activity?
I never said it was “illegal” to do it, it was against the terms of their credit card acceptance. They weren’t putting their business or liquor license at risk, only their ability to accept credit cards.
Ok thanks for explaining. But to be clear, you did say their credit card policy was something they got away with just like we get away with speeding in our cars, and speeding in cars is illegal & punishable by law. 🤷🏼♀️ But now you explained it was only against the terms of their credit card acceptance. They weren’t putting their business or liquor license at risk, only their ability to accept credit cards. 😄
I can see how that paints a legal picture, and you’re not wrong reading that way. I only meant that speeding is something easy to get away with even if it’s not allowed.
I would have rang you up with a tip.
Sure, if you cleared it with the customer first. Otherwise your just a thief and an asshole.
If you ask me it OP that was the asshole. The bartender was just doing his job and wanted to go home.
What exactly was I supposed to do? Both options were as a result of their self imposed limitations: the credit card minimum is allowed now, but back then it was explicitly prohibited. And while they called last call, it was still twenty minutes away from the 2am when the law prohibits more sales. (Calling last call 20-30 minutes prior to 2am is common, and I have no issue with that).
It seems very unlikely that the bartender had any input on that policy.
No doubt, at least on the minimum cc purchase thing. They were, however, choosing to not serve me a second beer 20 minutes before 2am. That was definitely a choice the bartender made.
I’m any case, I wasn’t rude about it.
This was years ago when things were cheaper and a beer was like five dollars. Obviously (because I’m in the US, I’m going to throw down a couple of bucks for a tip, but it still wouldn’t have met their minimum.
https://xkcd.com/859/
Aw fuck, I can’t believe you’ve done this.