Payment method costs assessment

This telephone interview survey was conducted during April and May 1983 by the Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. The purpose of the survey was to collect data on the sensitivity of retailers' pricing structure to methods of payment used by consumers to make purchases. The major areas of investigation were sales volume transacted by cash, personal checks, third party credit cards and other methods, cost differences incurred by retailers for accepting different payment methods, retailer experience with and attitudes towards cash discounts and credit surcharges. The sampling universe consisted of non-food retail establishments in the coterminous United States. The overall response rate was 82%, although retail firms with an annual sales volume of more that $5,000,000 were somewhat less likely to respond. Other characteristics of respondents and non-respondents did not differ significantly.