Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Virginia
Minimum Credit Sale
Can a business subject you to buying a minimum sale when using a debit or credit card?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Minimum Credit Sale
My understanding is most credit card companies' contracts with participating merchants provide that the merchants are not allowed to impose a minimum sale. But some merchants might not find small credit card sales to be profitable, based on their various fee arrangements with the card issuers. Debit card fees are paid by cardholders, so I would be surprised to learn of a merchant imposing a minimum on debit card (PIN-based) sales. As far as I know, there are no state or federal laws that specifically address this subject. If you are aggrieved by a merchant who imposes a minimum sale, you could contact your card issuer / financial institution.