Omega Financial

[modorney]

> To add to this, you CANNOT look at a payment and notice the credit card fee, and then ask that member to pay that fee. It's against the law. The company (or in our case, the chapter) is responsible for the CC fees.

That's true, but you can offer a discount for "cash" (checks).

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by modorney

That's true, but you can offer a discount for "cash" (checks).

But why would you want to? The members have to pay anyway, or they'll get suspended, go to collections, etc etc. The way I see it, if they pay with cash or check, and you dont offer a discount, thats more money the chapter has to operate with.

We offer discounts for payment of full semester fees and dues prior to the first day of classes. That's the only discount we do, and we use it to encourage members to pay early so that 1, they wont have to worry about their bill over the semester, and 2, so we'll have the money when we need it, and not have to beg members at chapter meetings to pay their bill. No way would I give someone a cash/check discount "just because" (at some point during the semester) when thats extra money the chapter the chapter could use. We budget for a loss due to the discount at the beginning of the semester. Then when the semester starts, if not everybody took advantage of it, that discount money that we budgeted for goes to savings for a use in case of an emergency or something miscellaneous comes up.

[amanda6035]

Also - from the FAQs page of the Omega Website:

Q: What is the "Merchant Discount Fee" that you withhold from payments? Can I charge members for the "Merchant Discount Fee" when they pay by credit card?
The Merchant Discount Fee is solely associated with credit card payments. It is the fee the bank charges you for the liability associated with credit card payments and for the time value of money. Typically, when a member pays by credit card, you receive payment in a more timely fashion because the member might not otherwise be able to pay at that time. Also, once the payment is approved payment to you is guaranteed, even if the member does not pay the credit card company.
The Merchant Discount Fee cannot be passed on to the members. It is a violation of the merchant agreement to charge a card user the "Merchant Discount Fee" applied to credit card transactions. Despite the fee associated with credit card payments, this payment option will likely benefit your chapter in the long term.

*edit* okay, so I was mistaken when I said it was 'against the law.' I meant that it violated the merchant agreement.