Stop 'rip off' charges Super complaint result

On the 30 March 2011, we issued a super complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) over the excessive fees companies charge consumers for paying by credit or debit card, known as surcharges.

Then, on the 28 June 2011, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) upheld our complaint and confirmed that it agreed with the 50,000 of you who supported of our campaign.

We asked for companies to be upfront about costs, make charges fair and to absorb the cost of processing debit card payments. Thanks to your efforts, on the 23 December 2011, the government agreed to ban excessive surcharges by the end of 2012.

As of 6 April 2013, the ban has been officially implemented. If you’ve paid excessive charges since that date, please report the company responsible.

How did the OFT respond to our complaint?

The OFT agreed that excessive surcharges cause consumers harm, demonstrate a lack of transparency and need to be addressed. It’s now introduced enforcement measures under the Consumer Protection Regulations, so it can take action against companies who are not transparent about their surcharges for paying by card. It also recommended the government ban on excessive surcharges.

'Rip off' surcharges are banned

The government has banned excessive surcharges. We’re delighted it has taken affirmative action.

However, our work doesn’t stop here - we need to make sure that companies are sticking to the rules. If you’ve paid excessive charges since 6 April 2013, please let us know.