Intercontinental Gift Cards in Australia - Do they attract the credit card surcharge?

[Mal]

InterContinental Hotels Group Hotel Reservations | Gift Card

Generally they look to be a complete rip-off. $8.75 issuance fee + online CC surcharge (with a maximum load of $500 per card - so already you're paying about 1.8% fee on a maximum value card + a credit card service fee of 1% when you order online) and there looks to be other fees potentially applicable for various things.

So a Gift Card of $500 will cost the purchaser around $514 if bought online.

Now, this is a VISA card (issued by Heritage Building Society). When the recipient redeems it as part of a hotel stay, will they then be slugged with the ICH Credit card surcharge (1.5% for Visa)?

Any experience?

Are there cheaper purchase methods?

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Intercontinental Gift Cards in Australia - Do they attract the credit card surcha

Now, this is a VISA card (issued by Heritage Building Society). When the recipient redeems it as part of a hotel stay, will they then be slugged with the ICH Credit card surcharge (1.5% for Visa)?

Any experience?

Are there cheaper purchase methods?

I haven't specifically tried, but when I asked about the credit card surcharge and its application to Visa branded, but not credit cards (debit cards, preloaded cards), I was told it applies to any transaction that goes through the credit card network. So I would expect so.