Starbucks processes debit transactions immediately; it takes my CC Co. three days!

I'm not so naive as to say "I don't get it." I get it totally. It's usury and a way to generate fees. But it's still wrong, and something should be done about it in any credit card legislation, if any were to ever pass.

Here's the deal: my card payment is always do mid month. I don't even get a paper bill anymore, I just pay it online every month. I signed on today, May 15, to pay my bill, which is due on May 17. Oops...no can do. That's a weekend. The earliest they can accept my payment is Monday, the 18th. Unless I pay a $12.95 fee, which somehow miraculously enables them to process it today, two days before it is due. Otherwise, they inform me, I'll be subject to a $30 late fee, even if I make the payment on the 15th.

If I use my debit card to purchase a cup of coffee, I can literally see the money taken from my account in real time. But a giant BANKING SERVICES COMPANY can't process an entirely electronic transaction in under three days. It's fucking usury, plain and simple. For the small amount I owed, it amounts to nearly an additional 20% in "interest."

:banghead:

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I think usury has to do with excessive interest rates, but I could be wrong. Either way, it should be illegal.

Anything they can do to get more money from you is kosher. My only card in the past 15 years ended up in the hands of BofA and that's when my problem started. They were charging me recurring charges for a vendor I didn't know and were no help in resolving it. The breaking point was being charged late fees for a bill I didn't receive until the day after I paid the next months bill. They could kiss my butt from here to eternity and I'd never have anything to do with them again.