I just went to a mcdonalds to pick up a milkshake and i was strucken with horror at what i saw. You can now pay with credit cards to get food at fast food joints. This made me angry. What is this world coming to. America is just going to become one fat world power.
Now if people dont have the cash the can just charge it to their cards. The way people are in credit trouble im assuming people are going to charge whenever they can.
Fast food is our real enemy.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
quote:Fast food is our real enemy.
Then why were you buying it?
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
That is pretty bad. Especially when you think of the way credit card companies prey on college students (who eat a lot of fast food as it is). Yikes.
Posted by Enderwillsaveusall (Member # 6227) on :
I no I no Im not a big fast food consumer. I simply wanted a milk shake and didnt feel like standing in line at applegates.
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
Enderwilletc, have you read "Fast Food Nation"?
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
(Fast food joints have accepted credit cards for years.)
Um, not that I'd know...
Posted by Enderwillsaveusall (Member # 6227) on :
Havent read it
Oo and not in Nj have they accepted credit cards till recently.
[ October 21, 2004, 05:58 PM: Message edited by: Enderwillsaveusall ]
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote:Now if people dont have the cash the can just charge it to their cards. The way people are in credit trouble im assuming people are going to charge whenever they can.
A large number of people using those machines are not really "charging" them per se. Many are using a check card of some kind, and many others carry no balance.
People who have credit trouble will not be in worse trouble because of this. They are living a lifestyle that requires more cash outflow than they have inflow to support it. For many, this is a temporary condition caused by a specific economic event (layoff, illness, etc.). For others, it's a lifestyle that denotes a sickness.
quote: I simply wanted a milk shake and didnt feel like standing in line at applegates.
You can't get milkshakes at McDonalds. Just shakes.
Dagonee
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
I use my debit card to pay for almost everything. I very rarely have much cash on me, and sometimes go for a week without any at all, so I like it when places take "credit cards" since my debit card can also work as a credit card.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
Eljay, our nearest McD's only recently added credit cards for payment. I have never used one there, but I don't mind. Often I only have my bank card and no cash. ::shrugs::
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
McDonald's started accepting credit cards in response to I believe Wendy's doing it first. I think its funnier that they now have ATGoldenArches.
Anyone who gets in credit trouble because they charge fast food has virtually no money to start with and/or eats way too much fast food. Or I suppose they're buying fast food for too many people.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Fast Food Nation was a terrible book.
Hobbes Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Hmmm. Guess MN was ahead of the curve.
Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :
As has been mentioned, fast food has been accepting credit cards for quite a while.
One thing that I've seen more of recently, and that's really creeped me out, are vending machines that require a credit or debit card. No coin or dollar slots. Only a card scanner. They seem to be popping up mostly in motels and hotels, but I've seen a few in malls.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
i can't stand it when a fast food restaurant doesn't take cards. I use my debit card for everything and I rarely have cash with me. The rare business that doesn't take anything but cash anymore has to be worth it, because I have to go out of my way to get a $20 out of an ATM just to shop there.
I think using your credit card at fast food joints when you can't afford it is a symptom of much bigger spending habit problems.
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
I use my credit card as a check card. I charge everything to it, and then pay it back at the end of the month. I don't carry a balance from month to month. It is just a lot easier to pay for everything at once and not have to worry about cash or checks when you buy things.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Since all but one of my credit cards gives substantial cash back -- usually on the order of two to three percent -- I charge everything I can, thus eliminating the need to carry anything so useless as cash. And since I pay our balances monthly, we're essentially being paid to use the cards.
[ October 21, 2004, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: TomDavidson ]
Posted by Sharpie (Member # 482) on :
Large chocolate shake at McDonald's = 1160 calories. That's almost as much as a large Big Mac meal (1390 calories).
Edit: not sure why I went with MacDonald's as a spelling, sheesh.
[ October 21, 2004, 06:54 PM: Message edited by: Sharpie ]
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
I think you'd be surprised by the number of people who pay for everything by credit. All of my income is directly deposited into my bank account, so it just makes more sense to me to charge everything and pay it off at the end of the month than it does to go sit in line at the bank to withdraw cash. I haven't had to step into the bank in months. Now if I could just get the credit card company to stop embarrassing me by randomly declining my card because of "suspicious behavior" I'd be set...
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
McDonald's doesn't have milkshakes, they have yogurtshakes. (eeeeewwww )
The McDonalds near me doesn't take credit (I live in NJ)
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I'm with afr, though, as a good conspiracy theorist, I really shouldn't be. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
The McDonalds near me doesn't take credit cards (Sri Lanka), but they DO have McBiryani and McRice instead of fries with your big mac. And they have chili & garlic ketchup in addition to regular ketchup. Chili & garlic ketchup - yum!
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
quote:I use my credit card as a check card. I charge everything to it, and then pay it back at the end of the month. I don't carry a balance from month to month. It is just a lot easier to pay for everything at once and not have to worry about cash or checks when you buy things.
We do this, too, wherever credit cards are accepted. It's very convenient, as long as you don't incur finance charges.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
quote:McDonald's doesn't have milkshakes, they have yogurtshakes
Actually, they're seaweedshakes.
Carrageenan Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
You know instant tax returns (The people doing this pay less than the return is worth and then pocket the rest) being given out in gift cards to Rent-A-Center is something to get worked up about. This, yeah, not so much.
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
I think the reason they started was because of the number of people who use check cards as opposed to carrying around cash. I'm one of these people. But uhh, this would probably be a funny comercial...
"French Fries at MacDonalds- 99 Cents Regular Hamburger at MacDonalds- 79 cents 6 more Regular Hamburgers at MacDonalds because one of them isn't enough to feed a fruit bat- $4.74. Getting fat on Credit...Priceless"
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
Doesn't it cost stores something like 50 cents to proccess a credit card? At someplace like MacDonald's where things generally cost about a dollar this doesn't seem to make much sense.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Nope, usually a percentage. I think it's 1.5-3%, depending on the card (AmEx is the most, which is why many retailers won't take it).
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Depends on the contract and the type of transaction you're processing. For example, in Canada, it tends to be a fixed rate per interac transaction (bank cards) ie $0.50 per and percentage for credit cards. But credit cards can also be a fixed fee plus percentage. Depends on the size of the business, how many transactions they process, the dollar value of the transactions, and how good they are at negotiating the rates.
(used to be an accountant.)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*defers to the expert* Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Wise move, rivka. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Mah momma didn' raise no stoopid chillin'.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
My momma did. One's my sister, the other's my other brother. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Ah, sibling love. My sibs aren't stupid . . . merely annoying as heck. (Except for one brother, who should be nominated for sainthood, or perhaps angel-status.)
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Fast food is our real enemy.
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