Charges made for using credit and debit cards

Grywne

Charges for settling a bill using a credit or debit card.

How can companies justify charging a per capita fee for one transaction eg some time back we booked flights through bmibaby amd were charged £7 for each passenger even though the total was paid in one transaction by one credit card. A total of £28 was added to the bill.

If a group of friends go out for a meal and one person pays the bill by credit card, you wouldn't expect a £7 charge to be made for each person dining. We could have opted to pay by debit card at a lower cost of £5 per person. I can understand one charge being made for using a credit or debit card but not the same number of extra charges as people in the group.

Surely these are unfair and unacceptable stealth charges. Does anybody else feel the same and have any ideas how and who to lobby to get this changed.

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

Grywne wrote: »

Surely these are unfair and unacceptable stealth charges.

They're only stealth charges if they're hidden.

Unfair as they may be, these fees are clearly stated across the websites that charge them.

Grywne

OK they are listed but it still seems crazy having to pay for each person rather than a fee for the one transaction made. I've never had to pay for each preson when settling a bill for a meal by credit card.
I guess it's a bit like buying tickets for concerts where you get stung admin charges and a fee for posting for each ticket which bumps the ticket price up so as to make it unaffordable. Thanks for your thoughts anyway.

Robert_Sterling

DVLA Road Tax.
By Debit Card no charge Road Tax £185
By Credit Card Charge £2.50 Road Tax £185.

oceanscape

Robert_Sterling wrote: »

DVLA Road Tax.
By Debit Card no charge Road Tax £185
By Credit Card Charge £2.50 Road Tax £185.

How does that illustration have anything to do with the OPs annoyance at per capita charges??

jonesMUFCforever

Grywne wrote: »

OK they are listed but it still seems crazy having to pay for each person rather than a fee for the one transaction made. I've never had to pay for each preson when settling a bill for a meal by credit card.
I guess it's a bit like buying tickets for concerts where you get stung admin charges and a fee for posting for each ticket which bumps the ticket price up so as to make it unaffordable. Thanks for your thoughts anyway.

The only way to get these companies to listen is to tell them why you haven't purchased anything from them. If enough did this they might just listen to the consumer however they would put up their charges to cover their costs. Don't hold your breath!

chattychappy

I think this is a sad reflection of the state of the UK consumer who has become impulsive and lazy about detail over recent years. Present company represents an enlightened minority.

People are attracted by headline pricing. They don't check small print (or even medium sized print) and at the point of commitment can't be bothered to go back and look again.

Airline A advertises £109, all in. Airline B advertises £99. So people go for B. Somewhere in the process they are told it's an extra £12 to pay by credit card... so they pay £111. Do they go back to check what the other airline would have charged? Nah, B get's the business.

I feel discounts for DD are in the same league. The reality is, people sign up for a DD, then tend to forget about it - and in particular how much they are really paying. They don't shop around. Whereas, a monthly bill that must be responded to proactively - well people are more likely to think again.

As I say - people here are generally the enlightened ones - either through bitter experience, a more sensible attitude in the first place, or being strapped for cash and having to count the pennies.

withnell

The airlines that charge per person CC fees are those that also charge to check luggage, have a drink on board, and potentially go to the loo!

It's what you have to pay if you're not prepared to jump through the hoops to get the great rate (Get a VISA Electron, Hand luggage only etc)

Inactive

Grywne wrote: »

OK they are listed but it still seems crazy having to pay for each person rather than a fee for the one transaction made. I've never had to pay for each preson when settling a bill for a meal by credit card.

You still went ahead with the transaction, despite beeing aware of the terms.

I go elsewhere if I am not happy with the deal in total.

I stopped using BmiBaby a long while ago because of their increases in these charges.