The cost of gas is totally out of hand. Whether you are a consumer or a merchant, everyone is looking for a way to offset the extra costs incurred by this series of price hikes. Some gas stations are charging a few cents less for a gallon of gas if you pay with cash rather than a credit card. Cash discounts aren't a quick fix. The merchant has to spend a significant amount of money for new signs and payment systems to put this “discount” in to effect. And your customers might not be ready to abandon the convenience of plastic.

Having the ability to accept credit cards has helped many station owners grow their businesses over the years. Many state that up to 70% of their customers pay with credit cards today.

If your station also serves as a convenience store the need to accept credit cards is even stronger. Think of all of the revenue you may have lost over the years if your customers had not had the option of charging their purchases. You are providing your customers the added service of purchasing items in your store that they otherwise would have to make another trip for. Not to mention they would spend that money in a store other than yours, talk about an inconvenience!

Accepting credit cards is a cost of doing business that you should not do without. If you cut out that expense, you may be cutting in to your bottom line.

When you get to the root of the problem, interchange fees are not to blame for the high price of gas, that honor belongs to the oil companies.