Card Surcharge & Payment Fee Compliance Check

Since 13 January 2018, the Payment Services Regulations 2017 have banned UK businesses from surcharging consumers for paying by the most common personal debit and credit cards — including Visa and Mastercard consumer cards — whether the sale happens online, in person or over the phone. This closed the old practice of adding a “card processing fee” at checkout for standard consumer payments, and the ban is enforced by trading standards and, for regulated firms, the FCA. Businesses can still legitimately charge for genuinely optional payment methods outside the regulated scope, or a fair, cost-reflective fee on certain commercial or corporate cards, but many websites and card machines still display surcharges that no longer comply, often carried over from checkout software or card-machine settings configured years ago.

Getting this wrong is a common and easily-discovered compliance gap: a surcharge on a standard consumer card is visible on any checkout page or receipt, making it straightforward for a customer, competitor or trading standards officer to spot. Beyond regulatory risk, unlawful surcharges are also a frequent source of chargeback disputes and negative reviews, since customers increasingly know the rules and query unexpected fees. Reviewing checkout and payment terminal settings against the current rules — and distinguishing lawful “convenience fees” or minimum-spend policies from unlawful card surcharges — is a quick check that avoids both regulatory exposure and customer complaints.

This check reviews any fees or surcharges you apply for card payments against the Payment Services Regulations 2017 — covering online checkout, in-person card machines, and which fees (if any) can still be charged lawfully.