WHY DID I PAY FEE FOR CREDIT CARD?

Dear Cash Queens

I’m confused as I thought credit card fees had been banned. I bought some cinema tickets for the family on my credit card last weekend. When I later checked my receipt, I realised I had been charged a fee on the booking. Can I do anything about this and should I report it to anyone? Susan Greene, Tyne & Wear

Cash Queens say

The ban on fees for using cards to pay for goods and services came into effect on January 13. It put a stop to all the unfair surcharges people were being hit with just for using their credit or debit card to pay.

This includes firms charging extra to book things like holidays or pay local councils and government agencies, such as the DVLA, on cards and via services such as PayPal and Apple Pay.

But this ban doesn’t include fees which are not linked to the payment method, such as booking fees for theatre, concert and cinema tickets, as in your case.

Companies can still add booking or administration fees, as long as these apply to other forms of payment too.

If someone finds they have been wrongly charged, they should complain to the company which charged the fee and ask for a refund.

Trading Standards is responsible for enforcing this new law and people should report firms still charging fees to them.

You can find your local Trading Standards office via gov.uk/find-localtrading-standards-office.

While this is a directive that has come from the EU, the good news is that the ban will remain law after we leave the EU – because it is a UK law change.