One week till 18 march - end of excessive credit card fees?

[MEL_Traveller]

18 march is the date - one week away. Supposedly companies limited to recovering the actual cost of the bank charges, so we could be looking close to 1% or less now.

Some commentary has suggested some airlines may be trying to get around the new restrictions by changing the name from a 'credit card' fee to a 'booking' fee (or similar) - but we know QF doesn't charge booking fees, so this should be a great positive move!

Quote from the QF FAQs:

[h=2]Question[/h]Does Qantas charge a booking fee or credit card fee?[h=2]Answer[/h]Qantas does not charge a booking fee for bookings made at qantas.com.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

They will just introduce a service fee which gets around the CC stuff.

Nothing will change IMO.

 

[Hvr]

They will just introduce a service fee which gets around the CC stuff.

Nothing will change IMO.

I agree, no way are they going to let that revenue dry up.

 

[wandersen]

or they could just include it in the price like they used to?

Qantas has alweays said they don't make money from credit card fees. It's just that they charge people who are booking $16,000 first class fares that same amount as someone booking economy. You might find that changes.

 

[samh004]

or they could just include it in the price like they used to?

Qantas has alweays said they don't make money from credit card fees. It's just that they charge people who are booking $16,000 first class fares that same amount as someone booking economy. You might find that changes.

I honestly don't see a problem with taxing the rich more (in this scenario), but don't want to get into a debate

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They will just introduce a service fee which gets around the CC stuff.

Nothing will change IMO.

ah... but... if it's a service fee then you won't be able to exclude the service fee by paying by debit card or bpay for example... otherwise in effect it's just a credit card fee by default. which wouldn't appear to be allowed.

 

[Austman]

Seems it's the CC companies (and not the airlines, hotels, taxis etc) that have to implement the new rules. So if Qantas charges a customer more than what the CC company charges them, the CC company is suppose to not allow it?

I think it will become a true percentage charge and not a fixed fee. And about time too! We'll all find out in a few days!

 

[markis10]

If your still paying a CC surcharge for Qantas flights then perhaps the forums might need re reading

 

[Austman]

If your still paying a CC surcharge for Qantas flights then perhaps the forums might need re reading

Yes I know all of that! But there are hotels, taxis etc etc etc.... And other airlines!

 

[drron]

Names may change but the consumer will still get slugged.

 

[The Rok]

The biggest rip off in the world is the 10% cab charge add to the taxi fare to pay by CC! Even eftpos.

 

[oz_mark]

The biggest rip off in the world is the 10% cab charge add to the taxi fare to pay by CC! Even eftpos.

+GST :shock:

 

[The Rok]

I refuse to pay it. I'd sooner draw cash from a cc at the ATM and pay the cash advance fee than hand swan taxis that surcharge.

My fortnightly commute used to involve a $60 taxi + cc surcharge each way. I rarely carry cash and always forgot up to to the ATM the night before!

These days I just chuck my brother in law a carton of Corona once a swing and he takes me to the airport and collects me.

More often than not we drink that carton together anyway!

 

[oz_mark]

I refuse to pay it. I'd sooner draw cash from a cc at the ATM and pay the cash advance fee than hand swan taxis that surcharge.

Not sure that Swan (or any operator) gets the surcharge. Pretty sure the bulk of it goes to Cabcharge (although I understand some of the competitor networks may have a sharing deal)

 

[wafliron]

The biggest rip off in the world is the 10% cab charge add to the taxi fare to pay by CC! Even eftpos.

The enquiry into the taxi industry in VIC has a lot to say about this "surcharge"... can't remember exactly what they recommended, but it definitely involved cutting it back significantly. Whether it'll ever get implemented is another story entirely though.

 

[simongr]

I refuse to pay it. I'd sooner draw cash from a cc at the ATM and pay the cash advance fee than hand swan taxis that surcharge.

My fortnightly commute used to involve a $60 taxi + cc surcharge each way. I rarely carry cash and always forgot up to to the ATM the night before!

These days I just chuck my brother in law a carton of Corona once a swing and he takes me to the airport and collects me.

More often than not we drink that carton together anyway!

Two companies I have worked for have enforced paying by card and thus incurring the fee when I felt I should pay cash and claim it back.

 

[Austman]

Repeat:

Seems it's the CC companies (and not the airlines, hotels, taxis etc) that have to implement the new rules.

So interesting days ahead!!

 

[oz_mark]

Repeat:

So interesting days ahead!!

The cc companies need to change the rules. The role of enforememt seems to be with the banks.

My gut feel is that yhe restriction to reasonable costs is so rubbery almost anything can probably be justified.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

18 march is the date - one week away. Supposedly companies limited to recovering the actual cost of the bank charges, so we could be looking close to 1% or less now.

Some commentary has suggested some airlines may be trying to get around the new restrictions by changing the name from a 'credit card' fee to a 'booking' fee (or similar) - but we know QF doesn't charge booking fees, so this should be a great positive move!

Quote from the QF FAQs:

1% for big merchants maybe, small businesses like mine get slugged 2%+ for visa/MC and 3.5%+ for Amex, so will have a competitive disadvantage.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

1% for big merchants maybe, small businesses like mine get slugged 2%+ for visa/MC and 3.5%+ for Amex, so will have a competitive disadvantage.

this is solely about QF and their excessive fees charging $7.70 for a $79 fare.