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Credit Cards
Texas A&M University accepts the American Express, Discover Card, and Mastercard for registration related charges. There is a 2.25% convenience fee added to the amount of the charge. This is the costs the University has incurred and continues to incur for providing this convenience to our customers.
Battalion Article-The Credit Card Dilemma
COMMON QUESTIONS
Why are you charging a fee for using credit cards when everyone knows they are free?
Although credit cards may appear to be a free service to many consumers, all merchants, including Texas A&M, are charged a service fee by credit card companies that can range from our low of 1.45% to over 3.5%. Merchants add this cost to the prices their customers pay for food, clothing, and other products that they purchase. Depending on how many students and parents choose to use credit cards, it is estimated that it would cost the University would be between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000 each year. The University has decided to charge a convenience fee (includes programming and computer equipment costs, credit card and transactional costs, etc.) to the customers who elect to use this service.
If I have to pay for the convenience fee won't that cost more than the frequent flyer miles and bonus points that the credit card company gives me?
Even though frequent flyer miles and other promotional plans may seem like a good deal, all customers share in the cost of these promotions in the form of higher prices from merchants. Again, the cost of using credit cards is ultimately paid by the user. The amount that credit card users receive back in the form of promotional programs such as frequent flyer miles and cash back bonuses is paid by everyone who buys the product or uses the service. The University has decided to pass the cost of providing this convenience to those who choose to use this services.