Say Goodbye to Hidden Credit Card Surcharges

Moriarty’s New Law Demands Surcharge Transparency and Fairness for Consumers

No one likes seeing a surprise charge on their restaurant tab, especially when its a fee that could’ve been easily avoided if a different payment method had been chosen. 

While surcharging is a widespread practice that businesses use to help balance out the operating costs of processing credit card transactions,  businesses have a responsibility to provide their customers with transparency on their credit card surcharging practices. 

Assemblyman Moriarty has sponsored a new law that will now mandate businesses to provide their customers with advanced notice of a surcharge fee before a transaction is completed. This new law will require businesses to disclose surcharge fees by posting the appropriate signage at checkout. In addition, as a part of this new law, restaurants will also have to disclose surcharge fees on their menus.

“This legislation is all about letting people know in advance what to expect,” says Assemblyman Paul Moriarty; Chairman of the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee, “Now consumers will know about surcharges before they complete a transaction, which will help them make an informed decision about choosing their method of payment.” 

The legislation also prevents businesses from profiting off of excessive surcharge fees by charging consumers exorbitant surcharge rates. Specifically, the bill stipulates that surcharge fees cannot exceed the actual cost it takes to process the transaction. 

The provisions of this new law take effect immediately.