CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD SURCHARGES

That this House welcomes the super-complaint made by Which? to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on 30 March 2011, raising concerns about surcharges levied by businesses on transactions by credit or debit card; notes the level of consumer dissatisfaction caused by surcharging, particularly when purchasing tickets for travel by rail or plane, where many budget airlines charge far more than the cost of processing such payments; further welcomes the response of the OFT, recommending that businesses should no longer impose surcharges for debit cards, which are the most commonly held payment card in the UK; calls on the Government to introduce measures quickly to prohibit businesses from imposing surcharges in this way; and supports further action by businesses to clarify payment processes so that customers are given upfront and clear information about their purchases.