surcharges on payments

[merlin200]

i have noticed a trend going on when i pay for massages by eftpos. no matter what card i use they charge a surcharge....normal yes.....but the amounts they are charging seems to be weird. this got me curious and i looked on the accc website regarding surcharges they quote the following.

"The RBA standard allows businesses to charge their customers a cost-based surcharge on card payments, but any surcharge will be limited to the amount it costs the business to accept that type of card for that transaction. Businesses incur costs when they accept a payment from a customer using a credit card, a debit card or a prepaid card. The level of those costs can vary according to the size of the business and which payment method is used.
The RBA has said that as a guide, payments through the domestic eftpos system (used to process payments from debit cards) are usually quite low, mostly below 0.5 per cent. Accepting a Visa or MasterCard debit transaction may cost a business around 0.5 -1 per cent of the transaction value.
Credit cards usually have a higher cost for businesses, and may cost the business up to 1-1.5 per cent for Visa and MasterCard, and between 1.5-2 per cent for an American Express card payment"

so it seems the business are trying to make just that little bit more. even at the highest rates of 2% they are charging more

some examples i can give are without giving names are:
1/ shop has a straight $3.00 fee on all transactions in bardon
2/ shop has $1 fee on the $70hr massage at kangaroo point... i don't know if it varies for other times or not
3/ shop in gabba a girl offered extra and said i can take cash or card but i need to charge 2.5% extra"
3/ this is the best one. Shop in taringa offered me extra but i told her i got no cash and only card. she told me "no problem we can put it on card but i just have to add 10% gst" :startle::startle::startle: even though she didn't charge me for massage fee with surcharge....apparently the boss has instructed all tips to put on card has to incur "gst"

although this is a trivial matter compared to what we pay behind closed doors but i thought this was very interesting.
has anyone else noticed this kind of stuff happening

[JustMetoday]

Pretty common but illegal as you say. Who is going to tip off ACCC or Fair Trading ?

[Brissypunter]

Understand the have to pay the bank fees to use the eftpos but wouldn’t pay over the $1

[merlin200]

Pretty common but illegal as you say. Who is going to tip off ACCC or Fair Trading ?

true that brother!

[merlin200]

Understand the have to pay the bank fees to use the eftpos but wouldn’t pay over the $1

yeah $1 sounds like a good maximum, but in all honesty if a place is charging $50, $60, $70...whatever they charge, you would think the massage fees alone should be enough to cover those pesky surcharges

[Brissypunter]

Not sure about that if u think the girl most shops gets half the fee so say a shop is left 35, then they need pay rent elect oils blah blah think it is all the girls who make the money and if anything should drop there fees .. back in the day of ilegal casinos and massage up stairs the owners would get all money and tips and girls would get a cut now it’s the other way around . Berlino and others back then made million per year or so . Don’t think the owners of shops make that these days but the girls i have heard make up to 30grand in a month or so

[blake_ly]

Definitely banned to do it via the way you describe, the maximum shops are allowed to charge is to pass on the cost banks charge them, and definitely not allowed to add on different service charges if you're doing it via card compared to cash.

Thought totally different point, I've noticed that some shops are choosing to loophole this via discounting it by 5% (or similar) if you pay via cash - not talking about massage shops though.

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/prices-surcharges-receipts/credit-debit-prepaid-card-surcharges

[popeye96]

If the ML wants to charge you 10% GST, then you should ask for a tax invoice with itemised billing, as they legally have to provide. haha

[merlin200]

If the ML wants to charge you 10% GST, then you should ask for a tax invoice with itemised billing, as they legally have to provide. haha

touché :miao::miao::miao::miao:
Went taringa last night and saw an asian girl but she didn't even offer option for payment on card...said cash only. otherwise would have used your line:cool2:

[bjsearcher]

Where would you swipe the card? [emoji5]

[RottenLittlePunt]

You're going to a shop, who isn't paying the correct (if any) GST or income tax, to receive an illegal service, and you're surprised they are illegally charging EFTPOS fees? LOL!!!!

[Digger]

You're going to a shop, who isn't paying the correct (if any) GST or income tax, to receive an illegal service, and you're surprised they are illegally charging EFTPOS fees? LOL!!!!

Great comment RLP!

[skool]

Are there any places where u pay by card and their name won’t appear as massage shop/ health services in statement??

[brownwallaby]

Are there any places where u pay by card and their name won’t appear as massage shop/ health services in statement??

SS is one. You’ll get Pam’s name in the statement

[Digger]

SS is one. You’ll get Pam’s name in the statement

Not her full name!