Power of blogging

Backstory: A customer emailed Consumerist to ask whether or not a business can state a minimum purchase for using a credit card. Technically, you can't, according to the credit card companies.

But they also charge businesses fees on any credit transactions. Well, it started a shitestorm. People emailed[harrased] the business owners, blood was shed, tears fell.

Here is the latest installment of how by being blogged, the owners had to change their store signage:

UPDATE: Requiring Minimum Credit Card Purchases is a Violation

Amy’s Ice Cream has a new sign (right) that seems to say that the $10 minimum charge is suggested, not required. The sign we originally posted (left) was one a store manager had replaced the ‘official’ sign with, according to Steve.

The epic brouhaha even warranted a mention in Amy’s Ice Cream news section. For instance, did you know that, “If you buy a small ice cream with one crushin’ and charge it, the fees can be as much as 15%?”

“I would like to respond to the “craziness” that is flying around,” Steve writes The Consumerist. “First, I have attached the sign that greets consumers now in our stores. It is the original sign that was replaced by the one that was posted on your website.

One of our managers replaced his sign with the brief and too the point sign that is not our belief. We are a small mom and pop, Amy and Steve, we are 21 years old and we are not a big company, although we have 13 stores, we do the sales volume of one Chili’s restaurant in 13 locations.

If we had to do it over again, we would never have taken credit cards. Most of our transactions are small and the fees are ridiculous, as much as 10-15%. Don’t blame us, blame Visa and Mastercard.

I apologize for this misunderstanding and encourage our customers if they are really mad to send me an email steve@amysicecreams.com.”

The file Steve sent us over was titled, “NEW$10Minimum.pub”

Previously: Amy’s Ice Cream thread