Anadegas warns it will suspend card payments at fuel stations
The National Association of Gasoline Retailers (Anadegas) has reactivated its warning regarding the possible elimination of bank cards as a payment method at its service stations. Faced with the lack of a satisfactory agreement with financial institutions regarding the commissions applied, the guild maintains that the current situation has made the sector’s profitability unsustainable.
Juan Elías Pérez, president of Anadegas, pointed out that, although a precise date has not been set to implement this measure, the decision could be executed at any time. The union leader emphasized that the sector cannot continue to absorb the operating costs imposed by payment service providers.
At any moment we will stop accepting credit card payments; it is not profitable for us to accept them because the banks take RD$8.00 from the gross profit for every gallon consumed at each station.
Juan Elías Pérez, president of Anadegas
A prolonged conflict over profit margins
The discontent of fuel retailers centers on the direct impact that bank commissions have on their income. According to data presented by the association, out of the RD$27.07 obtained as profit for every gallon of gasoline, banks retain RD$8.45, a figure that station owners consider disproportionate.
Pérez indicated that various negotiation deadlines have been exhausted without obtaining concrete responses from the national banking sector, despite having granted periods of 30, 15, and 9 days in previous stages. For this reason, the president of Anadegas urged users to direct their complaints to the banking entities when they are prevented from making electronic payments at the stations.
Background of the dialogue with the authorities
This conflict has been the subject of attention by government authorities. On July 7th, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs, Yayo Sanz Lovatón, together with the executive director of Pro Consumidor, Eddy Alcántara, led a dialogue table with the representatives of Anadegas.
In that meeting, a 90-day period was established with the purpose of reaching a consensus that would allow for the resolution of differences regarding the applied commissions. After the expiration of said period without a definitive solution, the sector maintains its stance of pressure to protect the operability of fuel retail businesses throughout the country.
