Businesses in Cornwall who are illegally adding extra charges on to a bill when customers pay by debit or credit card are being threatened with court action.

It is unlawful for retailers to charge additional fees when someone uses a particular credit or debit card, or other payment systems like PayPal, to make a purchase.

However, investigations by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team have revealed the ban is widely ignored by businesses and consumers are still being subjected to the hidden surcharges for choosing to pay by credit or debit card. Now the Council is warning that businesses who continue to impose the card payment surcharges may face court action.

Business can call Cornwall Council’s Business Regulatory Support Team on 0300 1234 212 for advice. Consumers who are charged an additional fee should report the incident to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0345 4 04 05 06.