About Credit Card Surcharges

A recent national court settlement now allows retailers to charge a surcharge on credit card purchases.

We want to assure members this isn't something Langley FCU has done, but was something that merchants nationwide fought for. We want you to be aware of this possibility in the future. You should still use your Langley credit cards with no worries.

Please note that not all merchants may choose to surcharge credit card transactions, but if they do, they must post a notification at checkout alerting customers of the added surcharge. If purchases are done online, merchants must post the notice on their home page.

For reference, the surcharge amount may vary between 1.5% and 4% of the purchase depending on the merchant. This surcharge can only be charged on credit cards. It cannot be charged on debit or prepaid card purchases. Some states prohibit the surcharges, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas. American Express credit cards are also exempt from surcharges due to the nature of their card and their agreement with the courts.

At this time, we haven't heard of any merchants starting this new surcharge, but we still want you to be aware because it has been in the news recently. If you are unhappy with a merchant who begins surcharging, we recommend you voice your concerns directly to that merchant.