Are these credit card fees potentially illegal?

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › Are these credit card fees potentially illegal?

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#3227887 8-May-2024 13:43

Would a practice or company behind a series of doctors surgeries (medical centres) have to declare government contributions in their annual reports.

Where is the evidence that govt funding has been cut?

The little things make the biggest difference.

skewt

750 posts

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#3227889 8-May-2024 13:50

johno1234:

Which parts of NZ have $20 GP consults and how hard is it to get an appointment?

Te Kāika Drs in Dunedin/Oamaru is $19.50

blackjack17

1705 posts

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#3227891 8-May-2024 13:54

johno1234:

Which parts of NZ have $20 GP consults and how hard is it to get an appointment?

Three Kings accident and medical in Auckland.

Not too bad. Did a walk in for my son (strep) yesterday and waited 45 minutes.

Making an appointment (if you don't care which doctor) normally a 3 or 4 day wait.

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cddt

1557 posts

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#3227896 8-May-2024 14:26

johno1234:

Which parts of NZ have $20 GP consults and how hard is it to get an appointment?

The Fono, Auckland. $19.50 for adults, $10 for 65+.

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johno1234

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#3227897 8-May-2024 14:27

That's a very good price. I can see the Three Kings clinic has bookings from 14th on so 6 days. If I look at my own clinic I can book an appt tomorrow if I don't mind which doctor I am getting and I don't mind getting whacked for an additional $45.

This all seems a bit wrong. We need prompt affordable access to health care otherwise EDs cop it or minor conditions become acute and it ends up costing a lot more in money and health.

wellygary

8325 posts

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#3227898 8-May-2024 14:31

$19.50 GP consults are part of the government's "Very Low Cost Access scheme"

https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-health-providers/claims-provider-payments-and-entitlements/services-to-improve-access#very-low-cost-access-payments

-From October 2009, eligibility for the Very Low Cost Access payment is limited to PHOs and contracted general practices meeting the eligibility criteria of 50% high needs population (defined as Māori, Pacific or New Zealand Deprivation Index quintile 5),

and currently charging or prepared to reduce their fees to:

zero fees for children aged 0–13 years.
$13 maximum for children aged 14–17 years.
$19.50 maximum for adults aged 18 years and over.

Aucklandjafa

397 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3227899 8-May-2024 14:36

jameshammond:

Wow, my GP is only $19.50 (Local Doctors).

Grey Lynn Family Medical centre is $20 per visit - sure beats the $69 I'm paying in Wellington

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richms

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#3227906 8-May-2024 14:58

Depends on their rates from the bank if its acceptable or not. Not all retailers are on the same fee structures and I can tell you that adding the surcharge will seriously reduce the number of people using debit cards so the average quickly swings towards the credit card rate if they are even bothering to average it vs just picking a number between the 2 rates like most places do.

Richard rich.ms

blackjack17

1705 posts

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#3227910 8-May-2024 15:19

johno1234:

That's a very good price. I can see the Three Kings clinic has bookings from 14th on so 6 days. If I look at my own clinic I can book an appt tomorrow if I don't mind which doctor I am getting and I don't mind getting whacked for an additional $45.

This all seems a bit wrong. We need prompt affordable access to health care otherwise EDs cop it or minor conditions become acute and it ends up costing a lot more in money and health.

But you can also just show up and often get seen within the hour (depending on the time)

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elpenguino

3423 posts

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#3227960 8-May-2024 16:20

Back to fees, if this fee is actually to cover the cost of the transaction, why is it not a fixed amount such as $0.50 ? The cost of the transaction should not change just because the data values were for a larger number than earlier.

The cost of the servers and developers and all that stuff dont change depending on the size of the transactions.

Is this money gathered by credit card 'transaction fees' actually being used by the banks to as insurance for credit card fraud etc?

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

richms

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#3227965 8-May-2024 16:26

elpenguino:

Back to fees, if this fee is actually to cover the cost of the transaction, why is it not a fixed amount such as $0.50 ? The cost of the transaction should not change just because the data values were for a larger number than earlier.

The cost of the servers and developers and all that stuff dont change depending on the size of the transactions.

Is this money gathered by credit card 'transaction fees' actually being used by the banks to as insurance for credit card fraud etc?

Because that is what the bank charges people as it covers the 30-50+ days interest free, the rewards points, the costs of chargebacks, ontop of the fixed per transaction handling costs.

If the surcharge was not allowable than many in person shopping places would just stop taking visa/mastercard and it would be back to eftpos only at the dairys etc. Only large retailers manage to negotiate the rates down to the point where it can be covered by them like supermarkets and hardware stores etc.

Still noone seems to have tackled the question of why nobody provides a GST invoice with the surcharge on it when that was the IRD guidance on them.

Richard rich.ms

mudguard

2119 posts

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#3228046 8-May-2024 18:06

richms:

If the surcharge was not allowable than many in person shopping places would just stop taking visa/mastercard and it would be back to eftpos only at the dairys etc. Only large retailers manage to negotiate the rates down to the point where it can be covered by them like supermarkets and hardware stores etc.

That drives me nuts though. Just have your pricing cover the fees. If you don't take credit cards you'll just lose sales. If the bottle of water is $5, then charge $5.50 and don't bother with a "fee"

I used to carry cash before the pandemic. Now I never do, in fact being a bit slow to using my phone to pay for things I'll admit I find it brilliant. I hate having to take my wallet everywhere, particularly the main one being my licence. I'm in rental cars a lot and travel for work, so I can't divorce my wallet just yet as I use a company card during the week. But weekends just having my phone is lovely!

nova

250 posts

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#3228071 8-May-2024 19:43

There is quite a bit of irony in that this thread is currently right next to the "Things that were meant to have bought prices down but have not". Since the new regulations were introduced, there seems to have been very little in the way of passthrough to consumer. Instead of going down, retail surcharges have gone up if anything, and have certainly become a lot more widespread. The main impact on the consumer is that credit card reward programs have reduced the rewards. So a double whammy, more surcharges and less rewards.

I agree with the OP that 3% is excessive, but maybe the doctor has low turnover and doesn't get good credit card rates. And maybe if you're allowed to pass it on there is less incentive to get a good rate. And GPs have certainly been squeezed financially, to the detriment of the population as a whole. My dentist doesn't charge a credit card surcharge, but they charge a whole lot more than my GP...

Behodar

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#3228073 8-May-2024 20:00

It'd be interesting to see whether the use of EFTPOS has increased since these surcharges came along. Personally I used to use Paywave wherever it was available, but now I'm often back to swiping.

HelloThere

169 posts

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#3228082 8-May-2024 20:16

elpenguino: Back to fees, if this fee is actually to cover the cost of the transaction, why is it not a fixed amount such as $0.50 ? The cost of the transaction should not change just because the data values were for a larger number than earlier.

The surcharge is a percentage of the total value of the sale. Not a set fee, I insert my card at small businesses or those with a surcharge and pay wave at the supermarket and petrol station.

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