Bankers Association warns merchants against surcharges and minimum-amount restrictions on customers’ bank cards

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REAL NEWS: The Antigua Barbuda Bankers Association (ABBA) is putting businesses on notice that the practice of applying surcharges and minimum-transaction amounts to card transactions is not permitted in this country or region.

The ABBA acknowledges, however, that it is a practice allowed in the United States and its territories.

According to the Association, Visa procedures that are applicable to this jurisdiction state: ” With the exception of credit-card transactions originating in the US region or a US territory, a merchant must not establish a minimum or maximum transaction amount as a condition for honouring the card.”

Further, with the exception of credit-card transactions originating in the US region or a US territory, a merchant must not add any amount over the advertised or normal price to a transaction, unless applicable laws or regulations expressly require that a merchant be permitted to impose a surcharge.

Visa Rules also say that any surcharge, if allowed, must be included in the transaction amount and not collected separately.

Given the foregoing, the Bankers Association is advising consumers who may encounter issues related to surcharges and minimum-transaction amounts to report the incident to the merchant’s bank.

Merchants, meanwhile, are urged to adhere to their card-issuer rules and protocols in order to avoid penalties.

They are reminded, as well, that their bank’s logo should be displayed on their card machines.

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21 COMMENTS

  1. Visa Rules also say that any surcharge, if allowed, must be included in the transaction amount and not collected separately.
    YES SO THEY GET A BIGGER CUT OUT OF IT

  2. It’s not the issue of filling bankruptcy it’s the hypocritical behavior of franzie-panzie and his blind lack of integrity followers. Oops. I thought when you file bankruptcy is to protect yourself from paying your creditors. Why was he charge for taxes is owed? The lips of the wise knowledge not so the hearts of fools. what about the allegation of owing ACB??

    • Who is more hypocritical? Franzie panzie or the thieving crazy accuser. Tell the accuser to return all of Antigua’s assets he and his family teck.

    • @Sad But True, the operative word in ur comment is “Allegation” — I’m quite sure you know what that word means. As for taxes, not all taxes can be discharged in a bankruptcy filing; for instance, a tax lien — there are limited instances where tax liability can be discharged in bankruptcy.
      Hopefully, the needs of Antiguans (especially the elderly) will become more of a priority than why someone filed bankruptcy in the USA. If the tax payers in the America aren’t concerned about Franzie filing for chapter 7, I don’t see why anyone on Antigua should be.
      #oldpeoplehungry
      #peoplecantgetwater
      #crimeisrampant
      #hospitallackingsupplies
      And.The. List.Goes.ON.

      • Franzie-Panzie is NOT running in America. He said he is running in Antigua and Barbuda. Common sense alone dicatates that each country has its own set of laws, especially with respect to being BANKRUPT and running for elective politics.

        Stay tuned……. more to be EXPOSED!
        #Truth
        #AfricaLiftIncCOLLAPSED
        #BrokeBustedAndDusted
        #MinimunWageMicrophoneGangsta
        #BetterLegsThanShugy
        #CantSpellGRATEFUL
        #CATASTROPHICreforms4Education
        #BEGGY.BEGGY
        #RipMikeyBurton

        • @,Sad But True: Why should someones bankruptcy filing in the US precludes them for runny for political office in Antigua? What laws is that? Lots of people filed bankruptcy in the US after the 2008 crash — some people our leverage themselves investing and lost everything. What does that have to do with Antigua and politics. It’s bankruptcy, not prison. Only people with money run for politics? People whose focus is only money in politics don’t make caring and compassion politician. Give me a broke caring politician over a rich selfish one.
          All of your hashtags are nonsense!
          More attention needed on old people who are hungry.
          Water is Essential, put your energy there.
          Crime is rampant and they don’t get solved.
          The hospital doesn’t even have soap to wash hands increasing the risk of nosocomial infections.
          These are more important than Franzie’s chapter 7
          At least they should be — but I’m sure they won’t be to a selfish politician.

  4. Where is the bankers association to warn their members about their staff feeding clients personal business to Gaston Browne?

  5. Fleecing the Caribbean economy. Banks offer no value to the transaction. A debit card used at a store moved money from one account at thr bank to another account. And they demand 3-5 percent for this transaction. Fleece that the words for it. Big economies have made changes that prevent this fleecing from occurring.

    • @jamesbrown 100% agree. Global companies fleece our region regularly. The airlines love the high profits they make on flights purchased in and departing from our destinations; such tickets can be 30-50% more than same round-trip purchased in and from the G-20 originating country.

      Please can the CARIBBEAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION address the issue of punitive percentages with Visa/Mastercard & leverage regional spend to gain a reduction to 1%-3%. Our individual island spends are too little probably for the card companies to consider a reduction.

      Please can ANTIGUA Bankers Association tell us what % of the current visa/Mastercard 3-5% fee is gained by the local merchants bank?

  6. @Focus On The Issues in Antigua. VERY MUCH FOCUSED INDEED…..

    “DISQUALIFICATION’S FROM ELECTION AS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE”

    1. No person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House who
    a. is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance,
    obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state
    HAS FRANZIE-PANZIE SWORN ALLEGIANCE TO ANY FOREIGN STATE? IF SO, HAS HE RENOUNCED HIS ALLEGIANCE?

    c. is an undischarged bankrupt, having been DECLARED BANKRUPT under ANY
    law;

    • @Sad But True, your focus is clearly not on the ills occuring in Antigua. Is Franzie Panzie a threat to your seat in Parliament? If you know he has sworn allegiance to a foreign country just go ahead and state it. Are these disqualifing rules NEW — and conveniently put in place to eighty-six a potentially winning political rival? If so, Antiguans better pay attention to the lengths the self enrichment political gangs will go to keep their grift going — Because, if Antiguans are having hard time now, I have news for them, things are going to get much harder in the near future. The global recession has already begun to coincide with raging inflation.

  7. 30 years in ‘merryKah and NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT. Larse he marnin and tryin to get bk he attanoon soundin EFFEMINATE on the airwaves. all franz good for is to BEG BEG BEG
    BEG food
    BEG school supplies
    BEG paint
    BEG goat water
    BEG coconut dumpling
    BEG, BEG, BEG instead of GIVE GIVE GIVE

    • A political rival begging for school supplies obviously cares about the needs of school children.
      Antigua[ns] deserves more caring politicians.

      The rest of your diatribe is merely 🐴 💩.

      • yes he BEG BEG BEG because he’s BROKE BROKE BROKE.

        BANKRUPT – “completely lacking in a particular good quality.”
        morally BANKRUPT
        spiritully BANKRUPT
        financially BANKRUPT
        politically BANKRUPT

        BEG BEG BEG like J’truth. LEECH off of people honest earnings.

        • @Really, begging is not against the the law. I’ll take
          a beggar everyday of the week over a THIEF.

Comments are closed.