On the 13th of Jan 2018, changes came into effect to stop companies adding on fees for people using a card to pay with.

I was under the impression that this was now illegal.

The other day I went into a Premier Stores franchise and bought a few items, came to less than £7... But when I went to pay, the price had jumped to £7.17... I queried my it had gone up and was told there was a 50p charge for using a card.

I pointed out that this was now illegal, but they were adamant they were allowed to do it. I told them under no circumstances was I accepting it and that they'd lost my business... and left.

I then left feedback/reviews online to warn others.

But what 'exactly' is and isn't allowed now?

I read that one of those takeaway delivery apps that used to charge extra for card payments as now simply extended the charge to 'ALL' types of payments, and that's supposedly legal as they're branding it a delivery charge rather than a 'card fee'.

If the shop is acting illegally, where do I report it?

They cant charge for using a card but of course they dont have to accept one.

I used to refuse payments of under £8 by card but never charged people for processing payments etc.

You didnt buy anything so you cant report them

The food delivery people use a flat fee regardless so that is legal.

As for trashing them online because you cant be asked to carry a tenner in cash when you go shopping,

would it be acceptable for them call you names online if they told you to go away for trying to pay by card?

I suspect that they dont know they couldnt charge you

but when suitably informed they wont be sympathetic to anyone who tried to pay by card for a small amount again.

I used to have to pay either 2% or 60p for taking a card payment

so 50p isnt exactly ripping you off.

The big companies like airlines used to whack a charge on to dissuade peopel from using credit cards to pay and thus avoiding having to keep to their obligations under the Consumer Credit Act

On the one hand you say..

you say they can't do it..

. and then say I shouldn't let other people know what they are doing is illegal..

. and then claim that you 'suspect' they simply didn't know...

after I'd told them that it wasn't allowed as of the 13th Jan.

. after it's been all over the news, TV/print/online..

you are so knowledgeable about them that you can make such an assumption whilst flip flopping back and forth like you did...

and to top it all...

try to make out it's ALL MY FAULT for not having cash on me.

[sarcasm]

Well forgive me for not knowing better,

forgive me for not living up to your super standards...

I suppose I should have travelled all the way to my nearest ATM at the supermarket,

just so I could travel all the way back to my corner shop to get a few things that would have been cheaper to buy at the supermarket.

[/sarcasm]

If you must reply... please try to be consistent next time.

What the mfor aajority of the public forget is that retailers do get charged for every transaction they accepts. Some are on percentages and some are a fixed fee and some on a mix of the two. On top of that there is usually a monthly fee to pay for the rental of the equipment, then is also added the cost of what they call PCI Compliance - it all adds up. Some retailers are paying huge amounts for this - yes I am talking in the hundreds of pounds, who knows what the multiples are paying.

I used to charge 5% of every transaction by card but dropped that well over a year ago. I only got to know about the changes from a Social Media site that has a retailers section, the trade press has glossed over it very quickly and nothing at all from Government or those who will be enforcing the new changes. There are many that are still charging and like you customers are voting with their feet and going elsewhere.

We now see customers wanting to buy a newspaper or a bag of crisps or packet of chewing gum and wanting to pay by card - seemingly the multiples allow it so Joe Public thinks the small shopkeeper will as well. My minimum spend is now £5 - I don't think that is unreasonable, I don't allow tobacco sales by card as high value item & low profit results in not being able to cover the processing charge. My customers know the rules and are happy - but it is some 12 miles to the next one.

For yourself then there is nothing to stop you reporting the shop concerned even though you ended up walking out. Only contact telling them of the new law will correct them. You say it was a Premier Store, then also complain to Premier, Booker who are their Cash & Carry and strangely enough Tesco who are merging with Booker.