We received a call from St George bank at one of my newsagencies last week encouraging us to take up a new terminal deal. They pitched the deal saying that they were endorsed by the ANF.
On March 20, 2008 I blogged that I had negotiated lower eftpos and related rates for newsagents. This deal was better than newsagents had at the time with ANZ through the ANF endorsed Bill Express arrangement. Pressure from the ANF on St George soon gave them access ot the deal I negotiated. It would have been smarter for the ANF to negotiate a better deal without being shamed into it.
I got the better rates with St George in part because I sought no commission on transactions. There are too many businesses and organisations taking a clip from business conducted by newsagents. I wanted to see what could be achieved by eliminating a middle man. The results from March last year speak for themselves.
Today, a year on, bank rates have moved. Now the ANF is the St George partner, both parties owe it to newsagents to disclose the commercial terms of the relationship. If the ANf wants to neegotiate on behalf of newsagents it needs to put in place deals which ensure newsagents make the maximum amount possible.
For five years, more than a million dollars of money which ought to have gone to newsagents went to the ANF as part of their Bill Express related relationships. This makes me suspicious of any deal with which they are connected. Is St George paying anything to the ANF for endorsement? If so, disclose it.