Comment Re:Ah, America! (Score 1) 562
Miles/points and other gimmicks mean nothing to me.
Oh, but they do.
They mean something to all of us, even those of us without credit cards.
I used to be a small business owner, and I stopped taking "points" credit cards altogether.
Do you know who pays for those points and gives you the cash back?
The merchant. That's right, points cards always cost the merchant a larger percentage in transaction fees, and the credit card companies offer this difference (usually only a fraction of the difference) as THEIR GIFT TO YOU
Swell guys, eh?
Sheeple spending points is like sheeple spending tax "refund" checks. They think it's free money from the heavens above, but it comes about only through their own assfucking.
Points/rewards credit cards are a pretty big factor behind the increasing costs of goods/services. The credit card companies take it from the merchant, take a slice for themselves, and give you whats left.
In turn, the merchants raise their prices to cover the "rewards", and prices go up for everyone, regardless of how they pay. Next time you take you credit card to the store, prices have gone up 20% to cover this atrocity, but you gladly buy it anyway because you get more points on your card. And the cycle continues.
Rewards/points cards are in the top 10 scams of the century.
But hey, enjoy your 49 cents cash back. You earned it.