Vehicle owners wanting to swipe their cards at petrol bunks across the city from Monday might not be able to do so as the bunks will be shifting to a cash-only mode of operations.
The move comes as a protest against banks which provide point-of-sale services to petrol bunks and then levied a one per cent service fee on every transaction done through their machines. The service fee is borne by fuel bunks owners, who say they are already reeling under falling profits and insufficient margins.
Banks will not be passing on this charge to card owners and this is being seen as a breaking point for petrol pump owners, who are trying to resolve several issues since the demonetisation of Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 notes in November last year.
"First they said 0.75 percent cash-back. Then they announced that cash would be available at petrol bunks. Now, they want 1 per cent for all transactions done by card. What will we be left with?," questioned an irate petrol bunk owner.
