"Boston's new parking meters on Newbury Street will soon start accepting credit and debit cards again, and this time there won't be a $2 minimum charge.I'm glad that the meters won't have a $2 minimum anymore.
City officials said the meters will be reprogrammed by mid-December to bring them into compliance with credit card rules that bar merchants from requiring minimum payments.
Once the changes are made, credit and debit card customers will be able to select whatever amount of time they want to buy, anything from 25 cents to $2. The $1 minimum charge for customers paying with dollar bills will remain in effect.
Thomas Tinlin, Boston’s transportation commissioner, said he did not know what the city pays in credit card transaction fees, but he said any reduction in income from eliminating the minimum payment requirement would be more than offset by lower repair and service costs associated with the new meters."
If it wasn't a weekend, I'd be calling the transportation department to speak to Thomas Timlin to find out why he still does not know how much the city pays in credit card transaction fees.
Tinlin gave the same answer back on November 22nd.
