Will you consume more Tim Hortons now that it accepts debit?
Here are three statements that, if true, would all warrant the same reply.
1) “Hey, guess what: CBS realized Charlie Sheen is totally nuts and Two and a Half Men was never funny in the first place. It’s cancelled!”
2) “An airport security guard lost his ring inside a traveler he was ‘patting down’ today. Everyone’s pissed, so no more embarrassing public molestations!”
3) “The day has come; Tim Hortons now accepts debit cards!”
That retort, of course -- “Finally!” Yes, it’s been a long time coming for Tims fans who, not having cash or change in their pockets, have been turned away from many Canadian locations that didn’t accept plastic.
Yet the day of reckoning is finally upon us; Tim Hortons has announced it will begin accepting debit cards as payment.
This news isn’t much to Western Canadians because, apparently unbeknownst to the rest of the country, Tims locations on that side of the nation took debit cards as early as 2003, according to the Canadian Press.
But let me tell you, this is big news out east, as Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces have never revelled in such Tim Hortons convenience before.
Which begs the question: what took so long? Tims has long maintained it avoided rolling out debit machines at its restaurants to steer clear of making customers wait too long for the transactions to clear.
That seems, though, like a dated excuse. Anyone who’s shopped at a retailer with a good debit system connection – a Shoppers Drug Mart or a Loblaws, for example – knows the transactions now go through efficiently and, in this writer’s opinion, perhaps even faster than what it takes two humans to fumble through a cash transaction involving wallets and change and the transfer of coins and bills.
What’s more likely is that Tims avoided using debit because Interac, the technology’s Canadian organizing network, charges retailers at least seven cents per transaction for using the service. That’s profit that, probably, Tims felt it could hang onto by only accepting cash (even though it started taking MasterCard three years ago) at its restaurants.
In any case, debit will soon be rolled out at about 90 per cent of Tim Hortons’ 3,082 Canadian locations.
To which, we ask: could Canadians actually consume more Tim Hortons now that the restaurant accepts debit? Will you, knowing that you don’t explicitly need cash to buy a coffee and doughnut anymore?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: mary | Nov 24, 2021 9:30:06 AM
YES I WILL THAT FOR SURE. I GO TO TIM EVERY DAY AND THERE WAS TIME THAT I DIDN'T HAVE CHANGE OR CASH ANS I HAD TO PASS MY COFFEE BY. SO YES ALOT OF PPL WILL SPEND MORE NOW THAT THEY EXCEPT DEBIT.
Posted by: John | Nov 24, 2021 9:35:19 AM
I found the headline rather strange at first because our Tim Hortons accepts debit... both at the counter and in the drive through.. But then I read in the story that us "out west" have had it while those "out east" haven't.. I guess even Saskatchewan is "with the times" sometimes! :) heh.
Then again, I'd pretty much say that 99% of places here accept debit.. It's not often you encounter a place without debit.. There are some.. but it's rare.
Posted by: Rick | Nov 24, 2021 10:10:44 AM
I'm from the EAST and was surprised when I was WEST and debit was accepted. Forgot about debit when I moved back east and went to Tims with friends and was embarassed when treating when they had to pay for their own because debit was not accepted. Have not been back to Tims since. Go to Mcdonalds and get cheaper coffee and free refills plus DEBIT is accepted.
Posted by: visa | Nov 24, 2021 4:24:27 PM
I actually thought the reply to all three questions was "why are you telling me this?". For now, I don't plan on buying more coffees from Tim Horton's... maybe my consumption will change when they accept Visa. Maybe...
Posted by: sv | Nov 28, 2021 10:55:16 AM
NO, Tims is getting to expensive, were cutting it out.
Posted by: Jack | Nov 28, 2021 1:02:30 PM
NO. My decision to purchase anything is based purely on need, with no consideration given to price or method of payment. So I will maintain the same amount of Tim's coffee purchases, which is zero.
Posted by: Slim | Nov 30, 2021 12:24:04 AM
I would not eat at any fast food joint even if they paid me to.
Posted by: D. | Dec 1, 2021 6:38:18 AM
Nope, I've decided to go to McDonalds for my coffee, especially if i'm sitting in the store. Tim's charges way to much and doen't offer even one refill. I find $1.72 a tad bit much for a single coffee. (yes, i get the x-lg). We don't even get the full x-lg in Canada we only get a 20oz, go south of the border and you get a 24 oz for an xlg.
Debit also makes it a lot longer in the line.
I work retail and hate having to take debit.
Posted by: don | Dec 1, 2021 12:13:29 PM
Not really interested in eating garbage. I like being in the NON fat minority. Enjoy you cardiac arrest fools.
Posted by: mink | Dec 1, 2021 9:49:10 PM
here's an idea, model tim's after a cable or phone bill.
so much a month for so much coffee. extra charges for doughnuts. a certain amount comes out of the bank account each month....and if you don't use up what you thought you needed, then....too bad. you overpaid, oh well.
there could be bundle packaging involved!!
the real beauty to my plan (and certainly the reason why my salary should be beyond belief) is roping these people into 3 year contracts.
yes, i am being sarcastic......but the lemmings out there would surely fall for it.
it's just so gosh darn hard to actually carry money. one might have to have pockets!!! one might have to think ahead!!! one might have to do what has been done for over 40 years......the hardship!!