michelleB Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Hi,Just wondering if somebody can clarify for me...isn't it illegal to charge a customer for anything to do with accepting a credit card as payment? Has that changed? Or did I just misunderstand that in the first place? There's a supply website (very popular to us here) that includes this very small print as you get close to the end of checking out:"...Your quote below includes the UPS fuel surcharge, credit card processing fees, packing supply fees and a small .50 cent per box handling fee. By finalizing your order, you agree to the above additional shipping charges. "This text is obviously on the page where you select your shipping method from the options given (hence the UPS reference). Can they however, bundle back in a "credit card processing fee" as part of their shipping charges or whatever for your order? I mean, does that make sense to anyone? Maybe I'm just seeing it all wrong. I dunno. Any input is welcomed. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 I don't think I would call it "illegal." Credit card companies make their own rules. They can say you can't charge a customer processing fees, but what is most common is they say you can't require them to make a minimum purchase in order to charge their order ($5, for example). I don't have a copy of my contract to verify the processing fee part. Maybe someone else does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth-VT Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 I believe it IS illegal for merchants to charge fees for CC processing, and for setting minimum purchases. That is part of the agreement you partake in with VISA/Mastercard. In reality, some fees do get passed on, under the guise of other 'charges', etc. But it's pretty bold to come out and state it point like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnhorsemom Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Don't know about the legalities but I do know where I live (rural small town area) that a lot of the small convenience type stores won't let you use a cc or debit card for purchases under a certain dollar amount. For what the cc card companies charge if the purchase is below that certain amount they end up losing money on the transaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesweet Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Ahhh...WSP...I know 'em well and most of you know my opinion of them. Luckily, my merchant agreement cd is still in the laptop. Unluckily, I'm on the desktop so I have to type it out. It says that you may assess a surcharge on a card sale conducted using a credit card provided that the amount of the surcharge may not exceed the Merchant Fee payable by you for the card sale and you assess the surcharge on all credit card sales. You may NOT assess a surcharge or penalty fee of any kind on any other type of Card Transaction or for any sale conducted using a card other than a credit card.I know that my original merchant agreement stated that you could not discriminate in any way against credit card users: no minimums for cc purchases (though you can set a minimum for all purchases) and you could not charge the customer processing fees. So my guess is that is why they incorporate it into the "shipping & handling", though they aren't supposed to say that is part of the fee.While it isn't "illegal", they could have their merchant account suspended if they are not following their agreement. And by stating they are charging for the credit card fees, it would seem they are in violation. Aren't most merchant agreements pretty standard from company to company?I just received the updated agreement a few days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgirl Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 MichelleB says :Can they however, bundle back in a "credit card processing fee" as part of their shipping charges or whatever for your order? If the supplier wants to add shipping fee's, then that is their choice..(Just say it's a shipping fee)I agree with you that they shouldn't try to "Bundle" and blame everyone else for the fee's...If you were to contact their merchant Visa/MC, they would not be happy about it, and this supplier could have their privileges of accepting this CC yanked if enough people complained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinInOR Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Having a minimum amount for cc purchases is *definately* against visa/mc rules... And it's not a processor rule, it's the cc company itself..Visa: "Always honor Visa cards, regardless of the dollar amount of the purchase. Imposing minimum or maximum purchase amounts is a violation....Always treat Visa as any other transaction....that is, you may not impose any surcharge on a Visa transaction..."Their rule book http://tinyurl.com/efdfq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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