Legislator Jay Schneiderman proposes bill designed to protect credit card users at gas stations
A new bill in Suffolk could make it easier for Long Island residents to see exactly how much a gallon of gas will cost if customers choose to use a credit card for their purchase. Typically, the difference
News 12 Staff
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Mar 26, 2014, 2:05 AM
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Updated 3,684 days ago
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A new bill in Suffolk could make it easier for Long Island residents to see exactly how much a gallon of gas will cost if customers choose to use a credit card for their purchase.
Typically, the difference between cash purchases and credit is about 10 cents per gallon. However, there are some stations that charge almost a dollar more per gallon to use plastic at the pump.
Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) says customers sometimes do not notice the price difference and end up paying much more than they originally thought.
Schneiderman has introduced a bill that would require gas stations to display a warning on the pump's electronic screen, which will highlight the price difference.
Representatives of gas station owners say Schneiderman's bill goes too far because state law already requires the price for cash and credit to be prominently displayed on the pump.
Michael Watt, from the Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association, says it could cost stations thousands of dollars to adjust software and pumps to display the warning.
"It is extremely redundant," Watt told News 12. "It's more expense to the mom and pop business."
Schneiderman's gas price bill is expected to have a public hearing next month.
