Card users still facing charges

Shoppers are still being charged extra fees for using debit or credit cards more than a month after a new law banned the practice, a survey has found.

Companies are no longer allowed to charge customers up to 20% more for purchases just for paying with a card under rules that took effect on January 13.

However, research consultancy Consumer Intelligence found 14% of shoppers have been charged an additional fee to pay with a credit card online or in stores since then.

Its survey found shoppers are also being charged a range of fees under different names, such as booking fees, transaction fees and administration charges.

Some 21% said they had been charged a booking fee for using a credit card since January 13, while 13% have been asked to pay a transaction fee and 13% have been asked to pay an administration charge.

Consumer group Which? also said it was hearing stories of people still paying fees, facing minimum spend limits or being refused the option of using their card altogether.

The ban took effect amid concerns that consumers could see the cost of goods and services creep up, or additional fees added by retailers, as a result of the changes.

Takeaway firm Just Eat drew criticism for introducing a 50p “service charge” on all orders after previously levying a 50p surcharge on card payments.