Ryanair menu. Flew from East Mids, forced to pay in Euros. Abysmal Nationwide exchange rate

peterpiper1990

I flew from East Midlands airport to Spain via Ryanair on 15th June. While in UK airspace, the drinks trolley came around. 

My wife ordered a tea, and the stewardess informed me that I could (a) only pay by card and (b) only pay in euros. The price was €3.25, but via my debit card, Nationwide ultimately charged me £3.38 for the drink plus a £0.10 non-sterling transaction fee. (Pennies, really, but horrendous in principle.)

I hence rang Citizen's Advice, and they said they couldn't see that charging only in euros was illegal. They said Ryanair is an Irish company and that Ireland uses the euro, but I countered that McDonald's is an American company but it doesn't charge me in dollars. CA ultimately said they didn't really know the answer.

Therefore, my query is really over the legality of points (a) and (b). 

1. Is it legal to force UK customers to only pay by card? Can consumers insist on "legal tender" being accepted?

2. Is it legal, in UK airspace, on a flight from a UK airport, for the (admittedly foreign-registered airline) to only charge me in its native currency?

Thanks in advance.

MeteredOut

What cannot be argued is you were told you would be charged in Euros and you accepted that. They didn't force you to pay. And a supplier can insist on card only payments.

eskbanker

peterpiper1990 said:

Therefore, my query is really over the legality of points (a) and (b). 

1. Is it legal to force UK customers to only pay by card? Can consumers insist on "legal tender" being accepted?

2. Is it legal, in UK airspace, on a flight from a UK airport, for the (admittedly foreign-registered airline) to only charge me in its native currency?

Yes, no and yes.

born_again

If pay by card is the only option, then nothing is wrong or illegal with that. Clearly they do not have the facility for cash, in all currencies on planes.
Card terminals are connected at airport & download transactions.

As to why they have charged in Euro's. You would need to ask Ryan Air that one. Could be where the plane in physically based or anything else. 

https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/lp/travel-extras/inflight

Does list in Euro's.

Not something I have come across before. 

Seems they use Retail inMotion Ltd (based in Dublin) for inflight purchases.
https://www.ryanairreceipts.com/receiptportal/termsAndConditions

Brie

If you were allowed to pay in cash they would need to have change.  UK currency, euro currency.  It would be a ridiculous situation so paying by card is the only answer.  Can't remember the last time any cash was accepted on flights anywhere.  

user1977

The fact it's a plane and an Irish airline doesn't even come into it really - it would be legal for your local McDonald's to charge in Euros or US Dollars and insist on payment by card if they wanted to. What law(s) do you think would prohibit it?

sheramber

4.3.1     “ You must pay fares, taxes, fees and charges in the currency of the country of your airport of departure, unless we specify another currency when (or before) you make your payment (for example, because the local currency cannot be converted). We may agree to accept payment in another currency.”

https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/terms-and-conditions/termsandconditionsar_2056028578#:~:text=1%20You%20must%20pay%20fares,accept%20payment%20in%20another%20currency.

sheramber

Asda fuel stations only accept cards.

Many parking charges are card only.

The air pumps at my local fuel stations are card only.

No doubt there are other examples.

Grumpy_chap

peterpiper1990 said:

I flew from East Midlands airport to Spain via Ryanair on 15th June. While in UK airspace, the drinks trolley came around. 

My wife ordered a tea, and the stewardess informed me that I could (a) only pay by card and (b) only pay in euros. The price was €3.25, but via my debit card, Nationwide ultimately charged me £3.38 for the drink plus a £0.10 non-sterling transaction fee. (Pennies, really, but horrendous in principle.)

I hence rang Citizen's Advice, and they said they couldn't see that charging only in euros was illegal. They said Ryanair is an Irish company and that Ireland uses the euro, but I countered that McDonald's is an American company but it doesn't charge me in dollars. CA ultimately said they didn't really know the answer.

Therefore, my query is really over the legality of points (a) and (b). 

1. Is it legal to force UK customers to only pay by card? Can consumers insist on "legal tender" being accepted?

2. Is it legal, in UK airspace, on a flight from a UK airport, for the (admittedly foreign-registered airline) to only charge me in its native currency?

Thanks in advance.

The issue here does not seem to be with Ryan Air charging you EURO 3.25 for a cuppa (to which you agreed) but the conversion rate applied by the card.

Were you given an option at payment to pay in EURO or STERLING (on the card machine)?  I accept, in practice, the Flight Attendant may have simply swiped the card, so made any such selection on your behalf (or mis-keyed the value).
If not, the exchange rate via cards is usually quite favourable, which does not seem to be the case here.
If the Flight Attendant chose the unfavourable exchange rate option or mis-keyed the value, you'd have a case to complain against Ryan Air.

la531983

Grumpy_chap said:

peterpiper1990 said:

I flew from East Midlands airport to Spain via Ryanair on 15th June. While in UK airspace, the drinks trolley came around. 

My wife ordered a tea, and the stewardess informed me that I could (a) only pay by card and (b) only pay in euros. The price was €3.25, but via my debit card, Nationwide ultimately charged me £3.38 for the drink plus a £0.10 non-sterling transaction fee. (Pennies, really, but horrendous in principle.)

I hence rang Citizen's Advice, and they said they couldn't see that charging only in euros was illegal. They said Ryanair is an Irish company and that Ireland uses the euro, but I countered that McDonald's is an American company but it doesn't charge me in dollars. CA ultimately said they didn't really know the answer.

Therefore, my query is really over the legality of points (a) and (b). 

1. Is it legal to force UK customers to only pay by card? Can consumers insist on "legal tender" being accepted?

2. Is it legal, in UK airspace, on a flight from a UK airport, for the (admittedly foreign-registered airline) to only charge me in its native currency?

Thanks in advance.

The issue here does not seem to be with Ryan Air charging you EURO 3.25 for a cuppa (to which you agreed) but the conversion rate applied by the card.

Were you given an option at payment to pay in EURO or STERLING (on the card machine)?  I accept, in practice, the Flight Attendant may have simply swiped the card, so made any such selection on your behalf (or mis-keyed the value).
If not, the exchange rate via cards is usually quite favourable, which does not seem to be the case here.
If the Flight Attendant chose the unfavourable exchange rate option or mis-keyed the value, you'd have a case to complain against Ryan Air.

No alternative currency is offered on the machines, its Euros only. All the prices in Ryanair literature is in Euros only, for a company that operates across Europe and therefore into countries that have different currencies this is very sensible, or they would need in flight magazines and/or menus for every single currency.

Failing to see the issue, the OP needs to get a better card for foreign spending.

la531983

peterpiper1990 said:

, but I countered that McDonald's is an American company but it doesn't charge me in dollars. 

If this is your only counter point then your whole argument is built on straw, most McDonalds in the UK are franchise operations run by UK businesses.

Get a better debit card.