Debit card fees

2tired

I have been charged a 2% (on £200) fee for using a debit card at an estate agents to place a holding fee on a property to rent. The agent had originally said over the phone that there wasn't a fee. As there was no local ATM I had little choice(no transport) but to pay the £4. I have since done a little research & found that there should be a flat fee for use if a fee is charged at all, not a percentage charge. Can anyone shed a legal view on this please?

money_maker_3

Not 100% sure on this, but I think it can be a percentage fee up to a maximum limit (usually £5)

I may be wrong on this though !!

dzug

Where debit cards charge a fee it is normally a percentage (1.5 or 2 is typical) with a minimum and maximum.

Don't know where you get the idea of a flat fee from - never encountered this.

LittleVoice

dzug wrote: »

Where debit cards charge a fee it is normally a percentage (1.5 or 2 is typical) with a minimum and maximum.

Don't know where you get the idea of a flat fee from - never encountered this.

In fact it is only credit card purchases where a percentage fee can be charged.

It is the case that it is only a flat rate fee which can be charged for debit card purchases - and the purchaser has to be advised in advance of that fee so that they can choose to not use the card.

antuk

Was it a visa debit card? Ive heard of these ones attracting the same fees as visa credit cards sometimes whereas the maestro debit cards dont tend to charge...

2tired

I got the original info from videojug.com but I don't seem to be getting anywhere with the retailer.... it is a visa debit card thanks for the replies

rosysparkle

It's usually a flat fee for a debit card and a percentage for a credit card (we are charged 35p by Streamline for a debit and 2% for a credit card - the money goes into a client account so we can't absorb the fee and have to charge it to the customer). Could it be that they thought your visa debit was a visa credit card? That has happened to me in M&S bureau de change of all places.

I think you should go back to the retailer in the first instance and complain.

dzug

LittleVoice wrote: »

In fact it is only credit card purchases where a percentage fee can be charged.

It is the case that it is only a flat rate fee which can be charged for debit card purchases - and the purchaser has to be advised in advance of that fee so that they can choose to not use the card.

Actually two issues here which I fear I (more than) half confused:

for some types of transaction the debit card company will charge a fee - it's usually a percentage as I said. It will be in their T&C and not separately advertised

the retailer is free to charge a fee of his own, of whatever he chooses. As you say he should advise you in advance. Usually flat rate but I have seen percentages advertised. Legally I think I can he do whatever he dam well wants provided he warns you.

If in this case the retailer charged you a fee having said he wouldn't then you should be able to claim it from him. If the card company charged you the fee then you are stuck - even if the retailer said there wouldn't be a fee he's not to know the policies of your card company.

jonesMUFCforever

Could you not have written them a cheque?

LittleVoice

2tired wrote: »

I got the original info from videojug.com but I don't seem to be getting anywhere with the retailer.... it is a visa debit card thanks for the replies

Yes, it's Jemma Smith of APACS here - http://www.videojug.com/interview/debit-cards-2#can-i-be-charged-a-handling-fee-by-retailers-when-i-use-my-debit-card

Unfortunately she does not refer to the actual legislation or rules which would apply but just states that retailers cannot charge a percentage fee. I may try and get more detail.