Cash vs Credit in Irish B&Bs

Jim, It is not a crazy system, it is just other countries other systems. Credit card companies charge businesses a significant % of each transaction. Small undertakings (like B&B) have two choices, charge more for using credit cards, or ask for cash. Holding a deposit on a credit card costs them nothing, as they do not go through with the transaction.

If you really want to use your credit card for travelling expenses, ask them how much extra they would charge for using it. Me, I have no objection to good old fashioned cash.

I agree. If you want to use cc then you need to make sure you book places that take cc. Most small establishments in Europe do business in cash and I actually prefer it that way. Easy enough to get cash from ATMs.

until i don't show up or decide cancel my reservation at the last minute, then they are happy to charge my card!
so they will use the card if it benefits THEM, but not if it benefits ME (their customer!)
like i said CRAZY!

That's one of the reasons we all travel, Jim ....... to experience the differences in foreign countries. If I were to travel to Texas no doubt there would be surprises for me, too. I hear you have some "crazy systems" there.

You need to direct your anger toward the bank that issued your credit card. There is something called interchange which is a fee charged to every merchant (the B&Bs in this case) for each and every transaction they put through on a credit card. The merchants have no say in what the fee is, only the card issuers do and they ask for more and more every year. And the fee varies due to the type of card you use. Cash back or mileage card? One of the highest fees to the merchant. Also, transactions can be charged back to the merchant even for perfectly legitimate transactions just because the cardholder feels like disputing the charge over the smallest detail meaning the product or service they sell ends up being given away for free. And the merchant has to have a bank account where all the charges clear through that is funded to a certain minimum amount and they cannot use those funds for other purposes.

With all this, it is not difficult to see why a small business like a B&B would prefer cash. Sure, they take your reservation with a credit card, but they prefer to only use that card to bill for no show penalties. But do they really only accept cash? Or do they strongly suggest you pay in cash? I have seen that many offer a discount for cash and the rate is higher when paid with a credit card (presumably to cover the merchant interchange fee).

What real benefit is it to you (anyone really) to pay with a travel credit card other than not having to haul bales of cash with you to pay for things? Pay with cash and you are done. No bills to worry about once you get home.

You have the option of staying in hotels since most do accept credit cards. There are some few B&Bs that do let you pay with credit in nearly every Irish town.

thank you all for the thoughtful replies.
first and foremost i am not expressing "anger" but bewilderment. i have worked in retail for many years, and understand totally how credit cards work (fees, etc.).

And as to the question, "What real benefit is it to you (anyone really) to pay with a travel credit card other than not having to haul bales of cash with you to pay for things? Pay with cash and you are done. No bills to worry about once you get home.", well, the benefit is that i don't have to haul bales of cash with me (which is quite a large benefit, if you ask me--which you just did!), plus not have to worry about having enough cash with me and having enough for unexpected expenses, and not having to run to an ATM every (other) day, not to mention having a record of my expenses once i have returned home and get my CC statement.

I have travelled a relative lot (Europe 7 times, South America 5, etc...) and haven't really stayed in that many B&Bs, but all the ones I have stayed in, i have always been able to use a credit card.

I will adjust accordingly. Thank you again for the input.

Also, i felt ambushed, as nowhere on the B&Bs websites does it state upfront that cash must be paid. It was not until my confirmation was sent that i noticed that cash must be paid. Cash only is fine, but why not be upfront about it? Don't wait to tell me until AFTER i've made my reservation!

Maybe a bit of my own "anger" at the whole credit card system spilled over into my reply. :-)

I can see when traveling for business that having the credit card statement would be a great way to track and report your expenses. But, for me, the receipt I get when I pay my B&B bill is enough to allow me to keep track of personal expenses. The B&B not indicating it has a cash only policy up front is annoying and should not be allowed.

I realize carrying cash is a concept many of us in the US have difficulty with these days given the ease of using debit or credit cards. I never carry more than maybe $50 on me at any one time (and it may be weeks before I need to get more cash) and use credit cards to purchase any and every thing from a pack of gum on up. Having to gather a couple hundred Euro or Pounds to pay for something larger like the hotel bill while traveling in Europe is still something I struggle with myself. I have had my banks adjust my ATM withdrawal limits so that I don't get cut off before I can get enough cash to pay my daily bills. I do still like not having to worry about paying credit cards when I get home.

This was useful to know as we plan our trip. I always use credit cards for everything that I can. Especially on vacation I like to be able to see totals when the the CC statement comes in and don't like to carry excess cash. I even pay for meals when out with groups of friends and let them give me the cash. They like to pay cash so just pay me! I then hoard the cash in my safe as a forced savings! (My accountant says I embezzle from myself. He's right!)

For me, one of the other reasons i like to pay with the CC is the CC points. I have had many tens of thousands of dollars in free travel over the years with cashing in my points after my trips. It is great.

But I do understand why small businesses want cash. For the same reason I want to use my credit card! It is a business decision.

Jim, though I have not taken our trip to Ireland yet we have traveled to Italy, Bath, London and Paris in the last couple of years. Yes, credit cards are handy, but as mentioned before this is the way B&B's do things. I always ask when making the reservation (or it is listed on the website) I have never been caught off guard. If I am in a small town with no ATM's I just plan ahead. I know how much the B&B's will be and I figure roughly what else I need cash for. The only thing you might want to keep in mind is , even though I can withdraw $1,000 from an ATM (my banks rule) the ATM you are withdrawing from in another country will have there own limit. If you are concerned with carrying cash around get yourself a money belt.