Q: Why stickers?
A: Stickers are harmless and environmentally friendly.
Q: Why do merchants try to charge a minimum fee?
A: Some probably don't realize it's against the rules, but a few reasons are:
Cash transactions are harder to trace and merchants may choose not to report all their cash receipts as income (this is tax evasion).
Some merchants have an in-store ATM with an exorbitant fee.
Others just think they can get away with it.
Q: Why shouldn't merchants be able to do this if they want?
A: First, tax evasion is wrong. Second, the minimum fee screws over customers. Third, it screws over the merchants who do play by the rules.
Q: Wait, I heard that people spend more on plastic than when they use cash?
A: Correct, the added convenience of check cards compared with ATMs means that when the customer is ready to buy the money is right there. Businesses benefit tremendously from this, which is why credit card companies are able to charge the merchant a small fee for the convenience. The only condition is that merchants not discriminate based on the size of your purchase. For more information about how consumers spend more with credit cards, check this article and also this one.
Q: How do I make sure the sticker sticks?
A: We recommend first wiping the surface with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol, then letting it dry, then placing the sticker. Be aware that in some cases placing a sticker on someone else's property may be considered vandalism. Merchantfraud.org does not advocate vandalism.
Q: Is there documentation of the terms of service for Visa and MasterCard?
A: See the links below:
Visa: http://www.corporate.visa.com/ut/faq.jsp#5
snippet from the Visa website: