MSE News: Credit and debit card fee clampdown begins

digit1288

Hi All,

Anyone know who polices this and if it has come into force?

Flybe are still charging 3% with a minimum charge of 5 pounds if using a credit card.

Just had to pay 7.7GBP in charges for using my card.

Anthorn

The difference is between transparent and opaque: Transaction fees are a fact and we either pay them as part of the retail price or we pay them as an extra charge. Either way the cost is passed on to the customer. Personally I prefer the transparency of knowing what I'm paying and why.

PsyCrow

I have just been charged £9 for 2 return tickets Paris (using Mastercard CC). It certainty was not clear as there didn't seem to be any mention of it until I had to enter by CC details.

According to a number of websites, including Yahoo Finance

Ban on surcharges: Traders will not be permitted to charge card fees that exceed the actual cost of processing a debit or credit card payment.

My charge was 3.1% of the ticket cost, that seems high but not sure what it costs them. I think an email to someone might be in order.

juvy

Me too. I was charge of 3.1 %

reclusive46

PsyCrow wrote: »

My charge was 3.1% of the ticket cost, that seems high but not sure what it costs them. I think an email to someone might be in order.

I doubt they'd even be charged 3.1% on Amex, so that seems like a very high charge.

pauliboo

Anyone know how to report companies?

I've filled in the form on the Which? website - http://www.which.co.uk/campaigns/card-charges/
but i'd like to take action as it's just a disgusting way to treat customers...

Bought Tickets for a children's theatre production at ATG Tickets.
Cost of Tickets: £32
Admin Fees: £5.70 (17.8% extra)
Transaction Fee:£4.00 (12.5% extra)

That transaction fee was a set £4 whether paying with a credit or debit card.

Margaretanne

I am travelling with Riviera Travel and to pay my balance they are going to charge me over £44 how can they justify this, their answer they use a third party ( which they will not tell me the name of )to facilitate C/Cards, I even checked with my credi card company and they are not charging them at all so some nice profits to be made

bigadaj

Margaretanne wrote: »

I am travelling with Riviera Travel and to pay my balance they are going to charge me over £44 how can they justify this, their answer they use a third party ( which they will not tell me the name of )to facilitate C/Cards, I even checked with my credi card company and they are not charging them at all so some nice profits to be made

So what percentage of the transaction is that.

Couldn't you pay by debit card for example to save this?

the credit card company are lying to you if they are saying there is no charge, fees are being reduced according to EU rules but they could still be 2-3% for smaller companies transactions.

mouthyman

Margaretanne wrote: »

I am travelling with Riviera Travel and to pay my balance they are going to charge me over £44 how can they justify this, their answer they use a third party ( which they will not tell me the name of )to facilitate C/Cards, I even checked with my credit card company and they are not charging them at all so some nice profits to be made

How much is the balance and therefore what percentage is the £44 of that balance?

Also how about a swift hunt round with alternatives who might be prepared to give you a discount if you take a slightly alternative package, but who will not charge you £44 to pay by credit card (or who will, but you are saving more than £44 to make up for the charge? Then tell Riviera that unless they waive the £44 charge, you are forgoing your deposit and they do not have a sale.

Just like a little child - have an alternative option and being prepared to use it can make even travel people see sense.

Or tell Riviera that your information is that no 3rd party is involved so the £44 is a fake charge, and as it is on their invoice, have they done some false accounting? Unless Riviera want allegations of fraud investigated and their local Trading Standards informed, then they should drop the £44. Courts have sent MPs to prison for false accounting, so sending a travel agent to prison is easily done by the courts.

You can also tell ABTA and any other trade body that they are a member of.

lle

Has the legislation a couple of years ago on limiting excessive charges on debit and credit cards really changed anything?
A couple of weeks ago we found that to pay a restaurant bill with a DEBIT card would incur a flat rate charge of £2. As the bill was just over £50, this represented almost 4% charge. I don't recall seeing the propped up cardboard handwritten sign informing us of this on the desk when we went in - or perhaps someone had been standing in front of it. How does this square up to a processing charge of 20p? We managed to scrape up enough cash to pay in cash on principle. (The only ATM in the village was at the same establishment and guess what it, it would have charged a fee to get cash out even though our debit card is from a major bank in the Link system.)