ALDI charging surcharge for tap and go or Paywave?

  1. Aldi charging surcharge on pay wave or tap and go
    Did anyone questioned why ?I questioned and got unsatisfying answer “ this is our policy and cannot do much “
    Other grocers don’t do that . What Aldi is doing It is rip off…

  2. Also They rush you to pack stuff at billing . They asked me to dump everything in to trolley and pack in to your bags separately later .Or else they get annoyed and show resentment .

Where as grocers like Wooly’s Supabarn and Coles assist us to pack and being friendly .
I am concerned about our senior citizens how would they feel

  1. I heard claims that Many overseas companies like all dee don’t pay much corporate tax claiming loses or something like that ? Basically their head quarter are located in tax heaven countries and they move profits and capitals to their headquarter countries and spend very less Nothing in the country they earn .It it’s is true then they are not supporting our economy . If anyone knows any info please share .

Related Stores

ALDI
ALDI

Comments

  • Aldi credit card surcharge. How did this make to the front page and generate essay responses? Yawn

  • +1

    I always make sure I insert the card and press savings at Aldi. Rarely but it does happen when the cashier makes a irritated face when they see me "not tapping". That's when I deliberately make a mistake and smile back…. :)

  • +1
    1. ALDI charge their transaction fee separately instead of building it into their prices like Colesworth do. It's a business cost that needs to factor into margin so not sure what the problem is here? My total billlais still always still cheaper at ALDI than Colesworth.

    2. I love the speedy checkout - I treat it like a national sport to keep up. I bought these trolley bags - they are amazing, thank me later: https://www.amazon.com.au/Lotus-Trolley-Bag-Eco-friendly-Tot…

    Or you can also just ask them slow down and they are usually happy to oblige.

    • I treat it like a national sport to keep up.

      It helps real life Tetris skills.

  • Get a ATM card (without visa /master logo ) you can use tab & pay without fee . at least ANZ offer Normal ATM card with Paywave

    or good old cash

  • OP, though it sounds unlikely, if you do shop at Aldi again, please use a trolley and put the groceries straight in from the checkout, don't stand there and fill your shopping bags! It slows everyone down, and drives others crazy!

  • +1

    These whinge posts are starting to get ridiculous. I wish forums would have an AI auto reply option. The AI would know the best reply and provide it to the OP instantly. OP benefits as reply is almost instant, and other forum members benefit as they dont need to think or type.

  • +1

    I'd say one of the issue with the surcharge is that even handling cash would have a cost. I'd like if the cash handling cost used as a baseline and if the cost is under 0.05 %, then the surcharge should be waived.

  • It is a rort that ALDI charge a surcharge for taking contactless debit card payments.
    For large retailers the interchange fees charged by card scheme providers for the use of debit cards are practically identical as eftpos interchange fees.
    ALDI should update their POS/PIN Pad software to differentiate debit cards, from credit cards (Other large retailers such as Australia Post do so). Of course it is not in ALDI's financial interest to do so. If there are enough complaints eventually they may change. In the interim just insert your card or accept the surcharge.

    • +1

      The problem is not the card - it's the method of use.

      You can use your Debit Card free of charge at Aldi, but you MUST swipe or insert it and it goes through the EFTPOS bank system, not use PayWave as that goes through the Visa/Mastercard system and attracts the fee.

      But let's not muddy the waters by letting facts spoil a good story.

    • Being a private company, there is sometime less motivation to squeeze every penny and sometimes a few quirks with the operations compared to public companies. A lot of the operations with Aldi are quite different to most public companies, like relatively high wages and its mostly simple operations (They don't tend to branch out as much as the other supermarkets from their core business).

      I very much believe they aren't trying to greatly reduce their taxes, due to not having shareholders who would demand increases every quarter.

  • It's always been like this and they have 2 signs (one at the ceiling while waiting and at payment) - my store anyways. It;s 0.5% which isn't much… compared to most stores. Depends what you buy as well, I have HSBC banj card and get 2% cashback on all paywave under $100 so not too fussed.

  • If this Op is too lazy to take cash and load the trolley they will be too stupid to see the value of the card.

    • +2

      Don't even need to do this, just use Savings via EFTPOS!

      • That's what I do whenever I go to Aldi.

  • This is the only thing I don't like Aldi about. I always pay cash

  • +1

    OP goes to ALDI for cheaper prices.

    That's the business model of ALDI, as a discounter/low cost supermarket.

    Wages and rent are the bulk of the costs of many businesses, if the attendant had to help you with your bags, that would be a wage cost. They are efficient with their staff usage there, and if you haven't noticed, don't have staff sitting at the registers if there is no one there, The staff are always working, which equates to savings for you, instead of them walking around chatting.

    As grocery margins are extremely slim, every bit counts, including people who choose to pay using expensive premium cards.

    How much money do you think they make, if you buy a bottle of milk for $1.50, and they ahve to pay a 15 cent processing fee. They would probably make 40 cents out of that bottle of milk, so your processing fee takes nearly 50% of the profit.

    Perspective.

  • +1

    Aldi has smaller margins on their goods. They are recovering a part of their merchant fees from the customer if paid by credit card. This is legal in Australia. Paywave/Paypass transactions are generally going through the Visa/Mastercard system and are processed as credit card charges hence fees apply.

    As mentioned above to avoid the fees the card must be inserted and Savings or Cheque selected to process as Eftpos transaction. Or pay Cash.

    You are supposed to quickly return your goods in the trolley and pack afterwards at the provided table/bench at the exit. This speeds up the cashiering process saving staff costs for Aldi resulting in smaller goods prices.

  • +2

    I am happy to pay the 0.5% surcharge, as HSBC gives me a 2% refund within a day or two on my debit card.

  • +3

    Having read this thread, I feel like my IQ has dropped 20 points.

    Thanks for that.

  • +4

    They are not a premium service grocer. They are a low-margin, bottom dollar, user pays type of grocer/supermarket. So you have to pack your trolley yourself and pay for extras.

    If you need an analogy to understand this better, think about it this way:

    • If you want all inclusive, higher level of service, food included etc you fly Qantas
    • If you want cheap, low margin, lower comfort, pay for extras you fly Jetstar. You don't fly with them and expect free meals or better service.

    Qantas = Woolworths and Coles
    Jetstar = Aldi

  • +2

    If anyone is interested, the RBA publishes an excel table of Average Merchant fees for cards on their website under Payments System: https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/

    In summary, Average total merchant fee for:
    VISA/MC = 0.43% to 0.86% (depends on debit vs credit)
    AMEX = 1.32% (not accepted at Aldi)
    Diners Club = 1.97% (not accepted at Aldi)
    EFTPOS = 0.25% or 14.6 cents (flat fee)

    • Is Diners Club still a thing? haha

  • +2

    Go somwhere else OP, you will always have a bad experience at aldi if you dont adapt to the way the business runs.

    • bring a $1 or $2 or an aldi token to get a trolley.
      -do your shopping.
      -unpack your trolley.
      -pack your trolley as fast as you can.
    • pay by cash or inserting your card and selecting savings or cheque.
      -move to the packing bench and take as much time as you want and pack your bags.

    DONE!!
    not that hard ..was it?

  • -6

    Aldi sells garbage. Sugar filled crap

  • -1

    Against the Law.

  • -3

    Just pay cash

    Pack as slow as you like, just don't look at the cashier, ignore anything they say about you being slow

    Or, succumb to the pressure.

    But don't do half of one and half of the other and then bitch on the internet.

    I suggest the first option. Would build character.

    • +1

      May be I should act dear and dumb

      Best way

      • Hey man. Take a neg like a champ. They don't hurt, trust me.

  • +2

    Op If you don’t like it shop somewhere else. Same for the seniors.

    Sometimes I getting shopping delivered, other times I go to Aldi. To avoid credit card I use the debit. They are not forcing us to go there.

  • +1

    Are you being charged the fee if you tap using debit card? I honestly never pay attention, and preparing to hand over my ozb license if so…

    • +1

      If your card is not eftpos-only yes.

  • -1

    I'm surprised nobody has suggested using Apple Pay yet to force eftpos. I guess everyone here is just too cheap to even look at Apple products.

  • They used to have the 0.5% signs above the card terminal machines, did I incorrectly assume they got rid of the surcharge because of COVID because those tags also disappeared? Either way 2% CB with HSBC…

  • Support and shop at your local coles and woolies instead of whinging about the aldi's store policies.

    • I do support Coles and Woolies
      Also shop at supabarn

      I don’t hate ALDI but their culture has to change

      • +2

        Why do they have to change?

        So they have to have service delivery like Coles and Woolies, & charge everyone more, just for you?

      • +2

        They do not have to change if their business model makes the amount of revenue and profit that they want. That means they are getting sufficient customers who are not put of by their practices.

  • +1

    Shouldn’t the question be posed the other way around?

    Why doesn’t Colesworth give you a 0.5% discount if you pay for your groceries with cash?

  • +2

    Its fairly simple

    Visa/Mastercards have a % based fee (both for your bank - and the scheme takes some as well) - its how visa/your bank makes money off you.

    Eftpos charges a fl;at fee (cents) - and was created by the banks in Australia more like a cooperative - rather than a for profit venture

    Typically visa/mastercard enforce that tap and go is defaulted to the credit account - so they get the convenience fee.
    As such you wont find many (any?) eftpos only tap and go.

  • +1

    How is this anything new??
    Don’t like it, shop elsewhere.

  • Oh! Never knew this, I hardly shop at Aldi as I have to go about 5km for the nearest one and always used debit card with paywave, may be I have already paid surcharge then.

  • +1

    Yeah they’ve always done that. They should have waived it whilst the govt was promoting contactless payments. They sit there behind there shields and not concerned that people touch the eftpos keypad.

  • I love aldis food (dont really bother with their other stuff) - just wish their range was a bit bigger, the shops were open a little longer hours, and potentially offered a click/collect or delivery service. I have no issues with the card fee, or the way they pack - im in and out much faster then coles/woolies

  • Just don't shop @Aldi I don't for the all the reasons.

  • It been that way for years

  • From my knowledge and experience as a Front of House person in a fast food place that introduced it;

    The credit card charge is something that merchants used to be charged by the banks for every single credit charge as it takes more time to process this transaction. This surcharge is a way to minimise the impact of that for the merchant, but not by the full amount (I believe it was $0.50, or something like that, per transaction)

    Tap and Go/Paypass is considered a credit charge, even if you use a debit card (I have had way too many arguments about this, one leading to giving someone $0.05 to pay her back her $0.04 credit surcharge).

    If you want to avoid it, it's insert or swipe.

  • Mentioned 100 times, no one is forcing you.

    On a slightly related topic, am I the only one that gets frustrated seeing people take full trollies through self-serve at Coles/Woolies?

    • +1

      no. there should be a hand basket rule but then again at some supermarkets there's only one proper checkout so i don't blame them.

      • When they were first introduced that was the rule but as they kept getting rid of the manned ones had to allow trolleys through. However due to the original purpose there is usually not enough space except maybe now during Covid as they are closing some stations.

    • +1

      What's wrong with full trollies at self serve?

      It's not like they're express check outs with limits on the number of items.

  • +1

    I wonder that nobody has mentioned that Coles and Wollies are actually owners of EFTPOS.

    see here: https://www.eftposaustralia.com.au/about/

    So easy for them not to charge, while other retailers do not have this option.

    • O_O

    • Nobody has mentioned it, because Aldi only surcharges on Visa & Mastercard transactions going through the EFTPOS gateway.

  • +4

    I'd rather they kept prices low and give customer that use cards a surcharge rather than push prices up for everyone. I still use cash since it's a cheapo but if I can't be bothered, I'd just use the card and don't care for the surcharge. The surcharge isn't that high but each to their own. I've never had issues with cash and many (I don't know if all do this) allow for two customer's transaction at once with the left and right side of the bagging area i.e. it shouldn't delay the next customer if that is a concern.

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