With only days until the UK ban on levying surcharges on shoppers who pay by credit card, some 42% of shoppers still face the prospect of being charged for using plastic in-store, according to a new survey of over 1,000 consumers by card machine provider Paymentsense.
Additionally, new data suggests that surcharging has already cost small businesses some £10bn in shopper walkouts since the ban was announced. The ban comes into force on January 13, 2018 and prevents retailers for applying a fee for using cards or contactless payment.
Although the ban was widely announced over the summer, the study reveals that over four in 10 shoppers have noticed no change and are still faced with surcharges at small businesses, including independent retailers, that they regularly visit.
The study also found that well over a third (37%) of shoppers have been walking out when faced with a card surcharge since the ban was announced. Across the country, only 8% of consumers surveyed said they still pay surcharges.
According to the study, average card spend in small businesses is £135 a month per person. This means since the ban was announced, surcharging SMEs have missed out on a share of around £10bn in consumer spend. A quarter of shoppers said they would also not come back to a store making surcharges.
