Fixing e-payments

Petrol pump battle over cards is just the beginning

The government had to step in to quell an emergent crisis when it declared on Monday that consumers at petrol pumps would not be required to pay extra if they used electronic modes of payment instead of cash. Earlier, there had been signs of incipient chaos at petrol pumps that refused to accept payment through various credit and debit cards. The petrol pump operators’ argument is reasonable. They point out that they run a low-margin business. Accepting cards in lieu of cash means that they have to pay something to the card issuer. This could very well wipe out their