Transaction incorrectly classified as cash advance

dhpaul

On a recent trip to Nice, we ate in a seafront restaurant one evening and used my Halifax credit card. When I got the statement subsequently I had been charged interest as though it was a cash advance. After discussing this with the Halifax, it seems that where we ate was classed as a casino, although we were not aware of this at the time, and that paying for a meal there should not be classified as a cash or betting transaction, but that a card issuer like Halifax has no control over what a merchant does.

It seems it would be up to me to query it with the restaurant. Now clearly its not worth the hassle for what was less than £1, but it strikes me as wrong that this can happen and that the card issuer effectively washes their hands off of it.

So a warning that this can happen. I'd be interested to hear if others have had the same thing happen to them.

eddddy

Someone else on MSE reported a similar problem when they bought entry tickets to a greyhound stadium.

The stadium was owned by Ladbrokes and the transaction was processed as a gambling transaction (which incurred a fee).

See: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5488133

Based on that thread, there's a suggestion that the CC company are breaching the t&cs that they and you agreed to, by charging you for a cash advance - when you have not had a cash advance.

(If the CC company have been misled by the restaurant about giving you a cash advance, that's an issue that the CC company have to take up with the restaurant.)