Australians File 100,000 Complaints a Year Over Hidden Card Surcharges

ACCC said consumers were upset about the lack of disclosure of add-on costs.

A credit card is placed into a credit card machine for processing payments in La Puente, Calif, on Sept. 11, 2023. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Australia’s consumer watchdog has revealed that it receives at least 100,000 consumer complaints each year about businesses applying surcharges for using credit and debit cards without proper disclosure.

During a recent parliamentary inquiry, Rami Greiss, an executive general manager at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said many consumers feel frustrated by the unexpected add-on costs at checkout.