Did You Know...
...that you can't use a credit card to buy liquor in Ohio? We found this out while trying to buy bourbon for our eggnog. And I thought Ohio was all progressive for selling wine au supermarché. [update: apparently there is some discrepancy on whether this is true. I can't find anything in the Ohio Administrative Code or the Ohio Revised Code saying it's law, but I can easily imagine this qualifying as procedure or preference on behalf of the state, rather than something that's got to be written in the books. I'm investigating further.... update 2: The Ohio Division of Liquor Control tells me that it's completely up to the contract liquor agent (i.e., the store) whether they're going to accept credit cards. What we thought was odd was that this particular store would accept credit for beer and wine, but not hard liquor. Is this typical? Anyone? It's not a matter of life and death, obviously, but I hardly ever carry more than $10 in cash and I don't have an ATM card. So it's good to know.]
...that RTA just did (IMHO) a pointless hack job on my beloved #22 bus? [update: it wasn't pointless; either they reduce service or cut service. Stop being such a pampered baby. God, New York made me so soft.] Looks like they revamped a lot of routes and schedules. Jim can't take the #35 to work anymore, which is too bad because we'd considered it one of the great gilded perks of living here. [He can now transfer and take the #17, though.] And I don't know what it says about this area that a circulator between Coventry and Shaker Square isn't viable. Whatever it is, it's disappointing.
...that my city councilman is facing a recall election? [update: he survived to live another day].
...that the best time to visit the West Side Market is right before they close because you can get amazing steals like a 10-lb butternut squash for $1? (I'm going to make butternut crème brulée.) [update: Jim's cousin came over for the first time this morning and what was she impressed with? My housekeeping skills? My awesome Christmas decorations? No. The squash.]
...that RTA just did (IMHO) a pointless hack job on my beloved #22 bus? [update: it wasn't pointless; either they reduce service or cut service. Stop being such a pampered baby. God, New York made me so soft.] Looks like they revamped a lot of routes and schedules. Jim can't take the #35 to work anymore, which is too bad because we'd considered it one of the great gilded perks of living here. [He can now transfer and take the #17, though.] And I don't know what it says about this area that a circulator between Coventry and Shaker Square isn't viable. Whatever it is, it's disappointing.
...that my city councilman is facing a recall election? [update: he survived to live another day].
...that the best time to visit the West Side Market is right before they close because you can get amazing steals like a 10-lb butternut squash for $1? (I'm going to make butternut crème brulée.) [update: Jim's cousin came over for the first time this morning and what was she impressed with? My housekeeping skills? My awesome Christmas decorations? No. The squash.]
posted by Christine at 9:50 AM
10 Comments:
Actually, there's no law about buying liquor with credit cards in Ohio. A few places (e.g., Zagara's in Cleve. Hts) will take credit cards. The issue is that liquor is so price controlled that margins are razor thin to begin with and most places don't want VISA fees eating into their minimal profits on booze. Blame the over-regulation sponsored by the wholesale industry.
Interesting. They told us at the store that it was state law - that they (the store) weren't technically the ones selling the liquor, the state was, and the state wouldn't pay the credit card fees. Shifting the blame? I'm going to have to look at the Ohio Revised Code. Or is it the Ohio Administrative Code? I can never remember which. I should know better than to report what other people tell me as fact without investigating, anyway.
I've purchased everything from wine coolers to vodka at Giant Eagle using my credit card and did not have a problem. Sounds like it's an issue with your store of choice.
What they actually told us was: you can buy beer and wine with a credit card (and liqueur, because I've done that) but NOT hard liquor. This was the scenario: we tried to buy a bottle of wine, some Christmas ale, and a bottle of bourbon with a credit card. They told us we could charge the beer and wine, but the state of ohio required cash payment for the liquor. The ensuing dialogue went like this:
Me: So you are telling me that I can't buy hard liquor anywhere in Ohio using a credit card?
Them: Yes. Technically the state of Ohio is selling you that hard liquor, not us, and they don't want to pay the VISA/MC fees to sell it.
You are buying vodka at Giant Eagle? The diluted stuff, right? Or do they have a separate checkout for that like Zagara's does?
Yes, separate sections. This was the Giant Eagle in Willoughby Hills in the plaza that contains the Cinemark. I remember the transaction well because I used my credit card but wasn't allow to use my Giant Eagle Advantage Card to save on fuel perks because they believe it promotes drinking and driving. Most Giant Eagles don't have separate sections like this one but do sell the diluted stuff you mentioned.
Christine yes you discovered the secret of the WS Market; the other one for me as a single person? They hate me just buying one or two peices of fruit so they throw in more. At first I argued that I can't eat five eggplants in a week or two, but then I gave up. lol
Carole, that just means you ought to invite us all over sometime and cook us some dinner. Anyway, Christine, glad your smart readers corrected the record on this, cause I certainly thought it didn't sound right either, when I first read it. How lovely that our readers can often help fill our knowledge gaps.
Carole: The secret is to eat more vegetables!
John: I've updated this, after getting an answer from the Liquor people in Columbus. Were the people at the liquor store misinformed? Were they shifting the blame? I don't know. I'm very good about admitting when I've misinterpreted someone, but we were so incredulous at this that we made them repeat it several times: "The state of Ohio does not allow you to purchase hard liquor with a credit card because they don't want to pay the fees." Oh well. We don't buy that much anyway.
I was disappointed this morning when I discovered that my #326 bus has been truncated from cross-town bus that runs from my nabe (Detroit-Shoreway) to where I work (University Circle) so that now it stops downtown. Given, I still have lots of options, but this the most convenient. My understanding was that the 326 was also the line with the highest ridership...
Hi Douglass,
You should call RTA and let them know what you think -- if you don't tell them, they'll never know!
How do you like living in Detroit Shoreway?
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