Woolworths/Caltex Petrol Sth Melb to surcharge Amex

[AdMEL]

A heads up ....

I filled up my Avis rental at Woolworths Caltex Petrol in Kings Way, South Melbourne, this morning and paid with Amex Plat Edge. EFTPoS machine wouldn't use pay wave or chip, only magnetic stripe with signature! I commented to the cashier that I was surprised this still hadn't been fixed (it's been like this for more than a year) and he mentioned that it will be updated in about a month, at which time they will commence surcharging Amex. Bugger! I suspect all Woolworths Petrol outlets will start surcharging.

Say a 2% surcharge - will almost negate the 4 cpl discount!

 

[DC3]

I thought that all Caltex stations now had a surcharge on AMEX. Certainly the ones that I have seen in NSW.

 

[Hvr]

I purchased petrol this week and there wasn't an Amex surcharge here in VIC. Hopefully it never happens. Would be sheer greed by Woolworths if they did because they can negotiate very cheap rates due to their size and market penetration.

 

[jetpack]

My local WW/Caltex in eastern Melbourne has had an amex surcharge for years. I've never paid it though. I always have a stash of gift cards in the car.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

A heads up ....

I filled up my Avis rental at Woolworths Caltex Petrol in Kings Way, South Melbourne, this morning and paid with Amex Plat Edge. EFTPoS machine wouldn't use pay wave or chip, only magnetic stripe with signature! I commented to the cashier that I was surprised this still hadn't been fixed (it's been like this for more than a year) and he mentioned that it will be updated in about a month, at which time they will commence surcharging Amex. Bugger! I suspect all Woolworths Petrol outlets will start surcharging.

Say a 2% surcharge - will almost negate the 4 cpl discount!

Why would you use your Edge anyway, when you can use a Gift Card that has earnt 3 points per $ rather than only 2 with the Edge direct?

 

[Colin 2905]

I filled up my Avis rental at Woolworths Caltex Petrol in Kings Way, South Melbourne, ....... only magnetic stripe with signature!

According to http://www.caltex.com.au/HelpCentre/Pages/CaltexFinder.aspx that's a Caltex Safeway. It wasn't until I got involved in a discussion a while back on another forum about the demise of ePump that I realised that there's a difference between Woolworths Caltex and Caltex Woolworths (substitute Safeway as applicable). The order is important; the first-named business denotes who owns it. Then there are the Caltex outlets that have nothing to do with Woolworths / Safeway.

Here in the ACT I usually get petrol from Hume, Erindale or Tuggeranong, which are all Woolworths Caltex. Never had to sign at any of those.

Yesterday I got petrol from Kambah, and had to sign. Interestingly, it's a Caltex Woolworths.

No surcharge on any of those..... yet.

 

[TomVexille]

I will be disappointed if this starts happening more often.

 

[akeno]

Would be sheer greed by Woolworths if they did because they can negotiate very cheap rates due to their size and market penetration.

most of these Woolworths Caltex are actually franchises and would prefer to accept cheaper forms of payments than Amex.

 

[plugster2011]

Caltex Woolies at Neutral Bay is now charging 2.5% for Amex. When I queried the clerk said all the servos in the area were introducing it and it was bought forward from next year. prior to this if only seen it one other place on the northern beaches. So it looks like the dominos are starting to fall.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

I have a sneaking suspicion around why some Woolies/Caltex outlets charge a AMEX surcharge & why some are reporting not to.

Around 130 Woolies/Caltex outlets are not actually run & managed by Woolworths Limited.
These outlets are owned by " Calstores" which is Caltex exclusively or are franchise stores trading under licence as " Woolies/Caltex".

The sheer majority of these stores that are not owned & operated by Woolworths Limited are those outlets where Woolies was never going to be able to find a suitable site to build their own outlet due to lack of suitable sites & are mostly found in inner metropolitan area's such as South Melbourne & Prahran (VIC) & the likes of Crows Nest & Neutral Bay (NSW).

You may be asking how I know this, is that as a former shareholder for 15 years I used to read the annual reports of the company & those outlets that trade under Woolworths/Caltex but not managed & Staffed by Woolworths employees are a seperate Joint Venture Company ( JVC ) & the subsequent financials are listed on a separate line on the company's annual report.

But, around 450 outlets are owned & managed by Woolworths Limited & I would be very, very surprised if these outlets would ever charge an AMEX Surcharge as I'm lead to believe Woolies & Amex have a tremendously strong relationship & quite frankly I couldn't see Woolies upsetting the apple cart.

To understand if the outlet in Question is owned by Woolworths limited or not, I don't believe the website will list the JVC outlets separate to the Woolworths owned outlets, but on the right hand side of the front door of every outlet in a green square sticker ( company owned or JVC ) outlines the owner & subsequent address for the site .

 

[akeno]

The majority of the sites are actually leased to franchisees under their franchise agreement.

From the Caltex annual report:

With over 630 sites, Caltex has one of the largest fuel and convenience networks in Australia and is also one of the largest franchisors in Australia with over 85% of Caltex’s retail sites operated by franchisees.

I would assume within those numbers that Woolworths Caltex sites are majority franchised and operated by franchisees. Woolworths and Caltex are merely suppliers to these co-branded sites. Hence i would assume the inconsistent 'surcharging' are set by the individual franchisees operating these sites who would prefer cheaper payment methods.

 

[JohnK]

I noticed this in Perth a few years ago.

I don't go back to any petrol station that surcharges.

I don't go back to any Woolworths petrol station that does not accept wish gift cards.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

Caltex North Ryde started charging 2.5% on Amex at the start of November so now I just use a gift card. The cashier asked me why because he had noticed a heap of people doing this since the Amex surcharge started

More interest to me was on Channel 9 news last night - Over 100 Caltex stations operating within a close proximity to other Woolworths owned Caltex stations around the country will be no longer be offering the 4c discount or ability to earn points. Not sure when this is due to start

 

[markis10]

More interest to me was on Channel 9 news last night - Over 100 Caltex stations operating within a close proximity to other Woolworths owned Caltex stations around the country will be no longer be offering the 4c discount or ability to earn points. Not sure when this is due to start

Its not that many, 39 not over 100

Some 92 sites operated by Caltex will be rebranded as 'Star Mart' or 'Star Shop' convenience stores and will continue to offer Woolworths fuel discounts. Another 39 sites, which are located in close proximity to Woolworths Petrol sites, will exit the Caltex-Woolworths alliance and will no longer offer Woolworths fuel discounts.
Between January and June 2015, an additional 12 Caltex-operated 'Star Mart' or 'Star Shop' sites will begin to offer Woolworths fuel discounts.
Once fully implemented by the end of fiscal 2015, Woolworths petrol discounts will be redeemable at about 100 Caltex-operated 'Star Mart' or 'Star Shop' sites and at more than 500 Woolworths-operated sites - compared with 633 in 2014.


Read more: Masters keeps hammering Woolworths as losses widen

 

[pangwen]

Hmmm.. That's odd. It's already started here in Brisbane. At the end of October, the Caltex Woolworths at Sunnybank Hills (Calam Road) became a Caltex (only) and stopped accepting everyday rewards. It made sense though, as it's 2 minutes drive from the Calamvale Woolworths Petrol on Compton Road.

Woolworths even sent out a 10c per litre voucher with an email mentioning that we would no longer be able to redeem at the Sunnybank hills Caltex.

 

[DC3]

I will not refuel at Caltex that surcharge, on principle.

 

[gizzard]

I filled up my Avis rental at Woolworths Caltex Petrol in Kings Way, South Melbourne, this morning and paid with Amex Plat Edge.

I rarely have to get petrol but when I do I often use this outlet. I then use 3 cards: Wish Gift card (purchased at a 5% discount with an Amex); Everyday Rewards card (for 4 cents discount) and a Myer card.

 

[TomVexille]

It looks like my local is dropping the Safeway branding. Annoying since it's one that also takes Myer One