This story concept got here from viewers members, like you, who received in contact with us. Send us all your questions in regards to the new credit card surcharge. We are listening: ask@cbc.ca.
You requested, we listened.
Our final article answering your credit card surcharge questions generated a lot of follow-ups, so we’re again with extra solutions in regards to the further charges you might see when utilizing your Visa or Mastercard.
Will companies must alert prospects that the surcharge is being utilized?
Businesses making use of the surcharge should make it clear to prospects they are doing so — and there is a strict protocol concerned.
For bricks-and-mortar companies, retailers will want to make sure they’ve a sign on the door indicating they intend to use a surcharge for credit card transactions, mentioned Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice chairman of nationwide affairs and partnerships on the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB).
“In truth, we’re creating some templates proper now to assist companies to ensure they are complying with the principles,” she mentioned.
A second sign indicating the credit card surcharge should be current on the level of sale, which must also specify the quantity that will be charged for utilizing Visa or Mastercard.
In addition to the sign, the greenback quantity of the surcharge ought to seem on the transaction receipt offered by the service provider to its prospects, in accordance with Luciana Brasil, a accomplice at Vancouver-based legislation agency Branch MacMaster, which labored on the class-action lawsuit that led to the settlement.
Online transactions ought to have a discover as you hit the checkout portion of the transaction earlier than finalizing cost, defined Pohlmann. The surcharge, if utilized on the web transaction, additionally seems in your receipt.
Some companies have already notified prospects of their intent to start out making use of a credit card surcharge, together with telecom supplier Telus. You will not see this in Quebec, nevertheless, as a result of prospects there are protected against the surcharge underneath the province’s Consumer Protection Act.
Will the surcharge be added earlier than or after taxes?
As per the current settlement, the surcharge will be added earlier than taxes, mentioned Brasil.
When returning an merchandise you’ve bought, will the surcharge be refunded as nicely?
The brief reply is sure.
If you have been charged a surcharge price throughout a buy and you select to return that buy, you will be refunded the surcharge.
“A full refund requires a refund of the total surcharge, whereas a partial refund requires solely a refund of the corresponding portion of the surcharge,” defined Brasil.
Will all card firms be enjoying by the identical guidelines?
At this moment, surcharging is just permitted with Visa and Mastercard, as a result of they have been the 2 firms concerned within the class-action lawsuit. American Express and different credit playing cards weren’t a part of the swimsuit or the settlement.
“To the extent retailers want to surcharge credit playing cards issued by another credit card service supplier, they need to seek the advice of that supplier and its guidelines to make sure that is permitted,” mentioned Brasil.