PLASTIC OR FANTASTIC? (updated 23 Mar 10)

The discount will be $1 per complete $30 of the payment. That is, a pair of long socks ($35) will have a discount of $1. A pair of gaiters ($70) will have a discount of $2. Silva Nor Spectra (price $120), discount $4. A Silva Jet compass (price $185), discount $6. A pair of Jalas shoes ($235), discount $7. Items bought at the same time combine to work out the discount. Two mates can buy a description-holder at the same time and there will be a $1 discount. You can fight over the dollar.

We're pleased to bring you this discount, because credit card transactions have significant costs for us. And up until now we've been prevented from having a different price for card vs other transactions. This was a condition of Visa and Mastercard. Non-card users were subsidising card users. It wasn't fair. It wasn't even obvious.

The Commerce Commission finally stepped in and stopped the "one price" requirement. We are now allowed to differentiate. We're doing it with a discount; we think you'll like it much better than a "surcharge" (like some other retailers). Being thinking people, we believe you'll like it much better than spreading the card costs over all customers! The formula is related to our banking costs - which may vary according to turnover so won't be the same for every business.

About half of our turnover is by credit card. Put another way, about half is by "fantastic money" - which attracts almost negligible fees for us to bank. In the short term we're going to lose money on that half. That doesn't concern us, MAPsport is here to support orienteering. Or more generally "map-sport".

In the longer term we'll see what you think about the discount. If you like it, we'll add about 1 in 60 to our prices as each item comes up for review. So gradually (if other things stay the same) credit card users will be paying about one and a half percent more than now, and fantastic money users about one and a half percent less. That sound fair?

A bit of "fine print". For mail order, or any situation where we have agreed to let you pay later, payment must be received within 10 days of the invoice date. So you have to pay promptly to qualify for the discount. And if we have extended "club/school discount" or any other discount to you, it doesn't apply - we have already been as generous as we can.

All enquiries to onsite at Major Events. For mail order phone (04) 566 2645, or write to 5 Atahu Grove, Lower Hutt 5010. We'll invoice with the goods, and you can pay by cheque, bank transfer, Visa or Mastercard. Prices shown include GST.