Can I Charge Card Fees in the UK?
Understand the UK consumer card-surcharge ban, important business-card distinctions and lawful alternatives for recovering payment costs.
UK businesses generally cannot add a separate surcharge because a consumer pays by personal debit or credit card. The rule is about the payment method, so recovering payment costs requires more care than renaming the fee.
The practical rule
For consumer cards and covered payment services, a trader must not impose a fee on the customer merely for using that payment method. This applies to online, telephone and face-to-face payments. A checkout fee, handling fee or administration fee can still be a prohibited surcharge when it is triggered by the customer's card choice.
Business cards need separate checking
Some payments made with commercial cards or outside the consumer rules can be treated differently, but that is not permission to add any amount. Where a charge is legally permitted, it must not exceed the direct cost borne for that payment method. Confirm the card type, customer status, contract and current rule before charging it.
Do not disguise the surcharge
A compulsory fee added only after the customer selects a personal card remains linked to that method. Displaying it earlier or changing its label does not change its substance. Optional premium services must be genuinely separate from accepting the payment.
Lawful commercial alternatives
Build ordinary payment costs into transparent product pricing, offer a genuine discount for a lower-cost route, set a lawful minimum order value, or negotiate provider charges. Any price or discount must be shown clearly and comply with consumer and contract rules.
Decision checklist
- Is the payer acting as a consumer or a business?
- Which exact payment instrument is being used?
- Is the charge triggered only by that method?
- What documented direct cost would support any permitted charge?
- Are the total price and alternatives clear before commitment?
Worked examples
A shop cannot add 50p because a consumer uses a personal debit card. A restaurant may set one transparent menu price that reflects its overall operating costs. A supplier considering a commercial-card fee for a business customer should document the actual processing cost and verify that the transaction falls outside the consumer prohibition.
Authoritative sources
Check the current GOV.UK card-surcharge guidance and the underlying Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations. This guide is educational, not legal advice; unusual, cross-border or disputed arrangements need appropriate advice.