The Director of Consumer Affairs has expressed concern about traders who add a surcharge when customers pay for goods with credit cards. Carmel Foley said that her office had been told by credit card companies that the surcharges contravened their regulations.
The Director of Consumer Affairs said she had received reports that some retailers were adding between 1.5% and 2% to customers' bills once they paid by credit card.
Ms Foley said that these extra charges would not have been imposed if customers opted to pay in other ways, such as by cheque or cash. She said that these charges had occurred most noticeably in transactions involving travel and entertainment companies.
However, though the practice of merchant surcharging contravenes the rules by which credit card companies operate, it is not illegal.
Ms Foley urged cardholders to contact their credit card companies to register their complaints if they had been affected by the additional charge.
She said that the credit card companies had a duty to investigate these complaints and to ensure correct practice was applied and that additional charges were not being imposed.
This is not the first time that such charges have been reported: similar complaints had been received from the holders of bank laser cards.
