Ask the Hunter Information Service: Are Credit Card Surcharges Required in South Africa?
An SCI member contacted the Hunter Information Service about credit card surcharges in South Africa. He said his safari operator claimed that all credit card charges in South Africa required a 10% surcharge. To make matters more difficult for him to pay his final bill, the safari operator would not take a check.
For clarity on the matter, we checked with the SCI team at our South Africa office. Andries van Coller, Anti-Poaching & International Policy Conservation Manager for SCIF, wrote, “In South Africa, it is illegal for businesses to add a percentage surcharge onto credit card transactions beyond the displayed price. The Consumer Protection Act requires that the price shown for goods or services is the full and final amount a consumer must pay, meaning retailers cannot add extra fees at the point of payment for card transactions.
“Visa and Mastercard, as well as the Payment Association of South Africa (PASA), explicitly prohibit merchants from charging additional fees (“surcharges”) when a customer pays by credit or debit card. Merchants who impose such surcharges risk breaching their bank agreements and card network rules, which could lead to penalties including termination of merchant agreements.
“While businesses are allowed to offer discounts for cash payments, that is different from surcharging card payments. The surcharge rule is about not charging more than the advertised price regardless of payment method, not about forbidding cash discounts.
“In summary, no percentage surcharge on credit card payments is legally allowed in South Africa; the final price must be inclusive of any card transaction costs, with no additional fees added at checkout.”
The Hunter Information Service is an exclusive SCI member benefit. Members encountering problems or with questions regarding hunting, traveling to hunt, taking firearms abroad, shipping trophies, or other issues affecting them as hunters can ask the Hunter Information Service. We’ll get you answers! Just email [email protected]. But remember, the Hunter Information Service is for SCI members only.