New bill prohibits businesses from transferring card processing fee to client

Consumers should not accept additional charges for using credit or debit cards when paying for goods and services and they now have the law by their side.

A bill approved by the House plenum on Thursday prohibits smaller businesses from transferring the processing fee to the client with the argument that they have a small margin of profit. And that this is wiped out by such fees.

It is common knowledge that many kiosks charge two to four cents for every transaction involving cigarettes, mobile top-up cards, milk, newspapers and magazines.

The consumers association has received complaints that kiosks are charging 20 to 30 cents more for paying with a credit card in some cases.

Some kiosks even display a sign informing customers of the extra charge.

From now on, consumers will be able to report such illegalities at the Consumer Protection Service of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry.

This is one of the provisions of the bill which was approved with 39 deputies in favour and four against.

Disy, Akel, Diko, Edek, Dipa and the Green party voted in favour and while those against were the three MPs of far-right Elam and Diko’s Zacharias Koulias.

Source: In-Cyprus