Credit Card Surchage - Are you changing your method of payment?

Please note this sub-forum does not provide professional finance advice. You should seek advice from a licensed financial advisor.

To post in this sub-forum you must have made 100 posts or have Trust status or have completed our ID Verification.

If investing please consider our affiliate link for new accounts: Sharesies.

Forums › Finance and wealth management › Credit Card Surchage - Are you changing your method of payment?

1 | ... | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18

1106 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3463507 21-Feb-2026 18:56

richms:

If they are not going to disclose it properly then its overcharging you. Take that complaint and run with it. No different to when a bar staff takes advantage of drunk patrons and puts $55 into the machine instead of $25 assuming they will not notice it.

The other thing is places that will not return the surcharge when you take things back for a refund.

Do you know what - I don't know if we get the transaction fees credited when we do a refund.

I'll have a look back and see what happens.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3463512 21-Feb-2026 20:03

It’s funny how the cost approach only gets applied when it costs the business something.

There’s no discount for buying online or using self service even though it significantly reduces cost to the business.

A business’s SGA costs are built into the margin. This is just one more cost of sales that other parts of the world have no problem building into the cost of sales.

richms

29104 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10222

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3463513 21-Feb-2026 20:39

CokemonZ:

Do you know what - I don't know if we get the transaction fees credited when we do a refund.

I'll have a look back and see what happens.

Doesn't matter, if the transaction is a failure then the consumer should be no worse off than they would be if they had not entered into the deal.

Now if you choose to offer a refund when you don't need to like for change of mind, then that is where you should not be offering the surcharge back.

Richard rich.ms

gzt

18689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7827

Lifetime subscriber

#3463514 21-Feb-2026 20:43

Handle9: It’s funny how the cost approach only gets applied when it costs the business something. There’s no discount for buying online or using self service even though it significantly reduces cost to the business. A business’s SGA costs are built into the margin. This is just one more cost of sales that other parts of the world have no problem building into the cost of sales.

The cost approach is applied when a consumer requests an additional service like courier. When the consumer wants 55 days before payment and other rewards why should consumers who don't want that have to pay extra?

richms

29104 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10222

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3463515 21-Feb-2026 20:48

gzt:
The cost approach is applied when a consumer requests an additional service like courier. When the consumer wants 55 days before payment and other rewards why should consumers who don't want that have to pay extra?

The thing is most of the people that are upset about surcharges are using debit cards so get no benefit from it over just inserting it and pressing buttons. 2% extra just because they are lazy.

Richard rich.ms

CokemonZ

1106 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3463516 21-Feb-2026 20:48

richms:

CokemonZ:

Do you know what - I don't know if we get the transaction fees credited when we do a refund.

I'll have a look back and see what happens.

Doesn't matter, if the transaction is a failure then the consumer should be no worse off than they would be if they had not entered into the deal.

Now if you choose to offer a refund when you don't need to like for change of mind, then that is where you should not be offering the surcharge back.

I agree.

Phrased badly in my original comment, was more interested if i get made whole. Customer should be made whole.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3463517 21-Feb-2026 20:49

gzt:
Handle9: It’s funny how the cost approach only gets applied when it costs the business something. There’s no discount for buying online or using self service even though it significantly reduces cost to the business. A business’s SGA costs are built into the margin. This is just one more cost of sales that other parts of the world have no problem building into the cost of sales.

The cost approach is applied when a consumer requests an additional service like courier. When the consumer wants 55 days before payment and other rewards why should consumers who don't want that have to pay extra?

I don’t want to deal with staff. Why should I subsidise consumers that do?

gzt

18689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7827

Lifetime subscriber

#3463518 21-Feb-2026 20:56

For your online example, in most cases you're dealing with the company because they have a bricks and mortar world presence and trust built in that environment. That usually includes the ability to take product back to any physical location operated by the company, and request after sales assistance from that company location.

CokemonZ

1106 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3463519 21-Feb-2026 20:57

gzt:
Handle9: It’s funny how the cost approach only gets applied when it costs the business something. There’s no discount for buying online or using self service even though it significantly reduces cost to the business. A business’s SGA costs are built into the margin. This is just one more cost of sales that other parts of the world have no problem building into the cost of sales.

The cost approach is applied when a consumer requests an additional service like courier. When the consumer wants 55 days before payment and other rewards why should consumers who don't want that have to pay extra?

This! Again if it was flat rate.it would be easy to roll into a cost structure. Buts its a variable percentage.

So like delivery pay for what you use (kinda -still no way to charge actual cost afaik).

Agreed, surcharges suck for both sides. I get retailers wanting to charge, and i get customera hating them.

Honestly eftpos rocked. Should go back to that - flat rate, no incremental cost, no weird tricks with rewards and bonuses and fees all over the show.

CokemonZ

1106 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3463520 21-Feb-2026 21:00

richms:

gzt:
The cost approach is applied when a consumer requests an additional service like courier. When the consumer wants 55 days before payment and other rewards why should consumers who don't want that have to pay extra?

The thing is most of the people that are upset about surcharges are using debit cards so get no benefit from it over just inserting it and pressing buttons. 2% extra just because they are lazy.

Yes! I have strongly encouraged my teenage kids to insert and pin, no surchage! Does my head in the amount of people who do not understand this.

Also does my head in that contactless surcharge is different from inserted. Both are card present.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3463521 21-Feb-2026 21:14

gzt: For your online example, in most cases you're dealing with the company because they have a bricks and mortar world presence and trust built in that environment. That usually includes the ability to take product back to any physical location operated by the company, and request after sales assistance from that company location.

I don't want any of that nonsense. Why should I subsidise consumers that do?

It's a dumb argument but that's the one you are making.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

mattwnz

20520 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4797

#3463536 21-Feb-2026 23:32

SirHumphreyAppleby:

openmedia:

Other than Consumer NZ is there a way to report this?

Commerce Commission. It's illegal.

They seem to be under resourced. I think it is better to phone to report a problem than email because last time I emailed them I had no response.

gzt

18689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7827

Lifetime subscriber

#3463608 22-Feb-2026 10:48

Handle9:
gzt: For your online example, in most cases you're dealing with the company because they have a bricks and mortar world presence and trust built in that environment. That usually includes the ability to take product back to any physical location operated by the company, and request after sales assistance from that company location.
I don't want any of that nonsense. Why should I subsidise consumers that do?

In your online analogy you are free to choose.

cokemaster

Exited
4937 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1089

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3463628 22-Feb-2026 12:38

I think the current state of surcharges are undesirable and my gut feel is that many retailers surcharges are excessive and/or poorly advertised.

My personal opinion is that surcharges are 'ok' on the basis that:

Retailers must provide a 'fee-free' (eg. the cost of processing the lowest cost payment method should be built into the price) method of payment eg. cash, online eftpos, debit cards/EFTPOS, bank transfers. It must be possible to buy a product at the advertised price.
The surcharges are kept as low as possible and are purely used to offset the cost of processing card costs (and not used to pay for part of a shopping cart product). eg. using lowest cost routing.
Surcharges must disclosed clearly upfront and not just at payment time.

If the above can be maintained, then surcharges (in my opinion) should stay... if they can't then they should go.

webhosting

Loose lips may sink ships - Be smart - Don't post internal/commercially sensitive or confidential information!

rugrat

3142 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 945

Lifetime subscriber

#3463644 22-Feb-2026 15:26

Is debit card payWave less fees then credit card for the merchant on payWave?

If so why have I never seen a seperate charge for debit cards on surcharge fees if it just to get costs back?

1 | ... | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18