Will the Possible Imposition of Credit Card Fees Change Your Spending Habits?

You may want to think twice before you pull out your credit card from now on. According to Time Magazine, a controversial federal court ruling last year gave retailers the go-ahead to tack bank surcharges for credit card purchases onto customer bills from Jan. 27, 2013. Bank fees between 2 and 4 percent of a credit card purchase had traditionally been covered by retailers making the sales, but smaller businesses without the backing of major corporations usually felt the brunt of these charges. 

Ten states prohibit passing fees on to credit card users — New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Texas — but not Georgia.

Customers can avoid the charges by paying with debit cards or prepaid cards. According to a Time Magazine report on the issue, stores must warn customers with a sign on the door before charging the fees, and not all retailers will pass on the fees for fear of alienating customers.

Will this change your future shopping habits? Are you more likely to avoid paying with a credit card in the future?