To promote cash-less transactions, the government had waived the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on fuel purchase post demonetisation for consumers. But after the expiry of the 50-day window, the banks have decided to levy MDR on petrol pump owners.
Petrol pump owners association said they have been "informed by HDFC Bank that we will be charged 1 per cent on all credit card transactions and between 0.25 per cent and 1 per cent on all debit card transactions from January 9, 2017. The same will be debited to our account and net transaction value will be credited to our account".
"Unfortunately, the circular has no reference to credit card charges or for not passing the same to the customers. We feel that HDFC Bank is using this as an excuse to improve their bottom line through transactions at fuel stations," he said.
He said petrol pump margins are fixed on a per kilolitre basis and do not have any scope to absorb these charges.
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"We have specific mechanism to compute the margin and these do not have any scope for credit card MDR. This will lead to financial loses for the dealers," he said, adding that credit card machine issuers are also delaying settlements of dues.
He said the petrol pumps have "decided to stop accepting payment through credit/debit cards from January 9, 2017".
(REOPENS DEL 63)
"Petrol pump dealers across the country, including those in Gujarat, will stop accepting money through debit and credit cards from tomorrow to protest an RBI circular asking banks to debit 1 per cent from petrol pump dealers account on payments through cards from January 9," said Gujarat State Petroleum Dealers Association president Arvind Thakkar.
"By accepting money through debit and credit cards, we are providing service to our customers, and imposing 1 per cent charge for the service is not reasonable. Therefore, we will not accept money through cards until this is rolled back," he said.