A ban on Credit and Debit Card surcharges :
Extra charges for paying with a debit or credit were banned across the EU from 13th January 2018. The change is part of the Payment Services Directive, otherwise known as PSD2
Companies can still charge booking fees or admin fees as long as they apply equally to all forms of payment.
Payments on business cards are not affected by this change – it only applies to consumers.
Prior to this change – some companies were charging 1% or 2% extra for using credit cards to pay. British Airways used to charge a 1% fee of up to £20 on credit cards, Ryanair charged 2% on payments by credit card.
Some smaller shops will have also charged a fee on credit cards – or sometimes had a minimum spend if you were paying by card. There is still nothing to stop retailers from setting a minimum spend if you wish to pay by card.
The ban on card surcharges applies to transactions when both the the banks of the consumer and the retailer are based within the EU (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.) If a retailer’s bank is outside of these countries you may still be charged a surcharge.