"Eliminate bank commission charges". The owners of commercial businesses are unanimously requesting this, and from today they are forced to accept all payments with the Pos . From breakfast at the bar to the purchase of a large appliance, passing through the beautician, hairdresser or florist, all customers must be able to pay by card. But it can also be used in tobacconists, newsstands and professionals.

" I don't charge cigarettes with an ATM ," says Antonello Deiana tobacconist. "The state has not thought about the consequences: it gives us very narrow profit margins, now with the Pos we also have to pay the commissions to the banks so where is the profit for us in the end? We can't always go at a loss. "

Long times

For Roberto Tronci, owner of a newsagent in Piazza Repubblica in Cagliari, in addition to the commissions to be paid to the banks, the time it takes to make a receipt can also affect turnover. "If ten people enter to buy a newspaper and everyone wants to pay with the Pos, we risk creating queues to Poetto and then not seeing anyone enter again, because we don't like queuing and the technical times with the slow connection we have they lengthen. Perhaps these are assessments that perhaps the state is not making ”.

Compromises

In various businesses until yesterday it was not unusual to find a sign near the cash desk that reads "We do not accept payments with the Pos under 15 euros". Notice that most has removed in order not to incur penalties. " We have to adapt to the norm ", highlights Lucia Donno, owner of a beauty center in the capital. «We will certainly ask our trusted customers for small transactions to postpone the payment until the next time and set up a single account. If they continue to tax us for everything, we too will be forced to raise prices and then obviously we risk losing customers ».

Even the kiosks that sell flowers adapt to the changing times, giving their buyers the opportunity to pay by card. « I have never set limits, the important thing that people buy and pay », says Angelo Curreli, florist. «It always depends on the customer, often they are the ones who ask themselves the problem and propose to pay negligible amounts in cash. Unfortunately the commissions are heavy, but we have had no alternatives ».

In clothing stores, however, it has now become rare to see customers using cash. " Out of ten transactions, nine are with ATMs ", confirms Chicca Bernardini, owner of a shop. «Given, however, that from today the POS is mandatory, they should remove or reduce commissions . We have a fairly high mark-up, but activities with operations linked to smaller amounts will obviously have more difficulties ».

Announcements

The music also changes for the freelancers who will have to equip their studios with the Pos. "90% of my positions are with public bodies, I will ask the few private customers to make the transfer", underlines Andrea, an engineer from Cagliari. «No surname in the newspaper, I realize that I am illegal even if I have a limited private audience. They cannot impose the same obligation, for example, on me and on a specialist doctor, because the operations are distinctly different and consequently also the expenses to be supported ».

In fact, Luca Locci has been using it for some time in his dental office. « The 80 percent transactions are with the pos, the rest by check or bank transfer - he explains -. The only drawback are the bank taxes, I find it incorrect that my earnings should go, even if in a small percentage to the banks, the state should undertake to reduce these expenses and not just to cut down the cash ".

Stefano Murgia, a lawyer, on the other hand, regrets the cash. " I remain in favor of cash payments , but I am willing to study the Pos as long as this is also really used by customers and not reduced to an unnecessary expense for us, but I am sure that it will never completely replace banknotes ".

Francesca Melis

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