Credit and debit card surcharges to be banned next week

A new law will come into force from 13th January 2018, banning businesses from charging any fees for credit or debit card payments. 

The rules will apply to any UK company selling to UK consumers and will also apply to online payments, including American Express and PayPal or Apple Pay. 

Although this is a new UK law, it follows an EU directive, which means that other countries in the European Union will also be rolling out bans for debit and credit card surcharges. 

The main aim of the law is to stop companies from penalising consumers for using their card and to ensure that companies do not profit from debit and credit card transactions.

The surcharges are commonly levied by businesses ranging from takeaway apps to global airlines by customers that either pay by card or use other services such as PayPal. 

However, it has left some people wondering if banning surcharge payments will only lead to some businesses increasing their prices or even choosing not to accept card payments at all…..