Travel agencies charging illegal credit card fees

Several travel agencies are charging illegal additional credit card fees, according to a survey conducted by the Consumer Council. The survey results show that some agencies charge consumers an additional amount when paying by credit card. The council states that this is against the law and the responsible department is working on this problem. Consumers paying with credit cards should not be charged any additional amount other than the transaction sum. Regarding the use of credit cards and similar kinds of electronic money, the law states that all products and services transacted within the region of Macau should be paid in MOP, and there is no excuse for attaching any extra fees to the agreed price or transaction amount. Among the over 50 surveys received from travel agencies, 30 percent are charging extra fees to consumers who purchase tour packages, flight tickets, or hotel bookings with credit cards, the council said. Over half of the overall respondents were aware that this is against the law. Survey result has been sent to the Monetary Authority of Macau. The Macau Government Tourism Office was also informed to urge travel agencies to abide by the law and prohibit them from charging extra fees. The Consumer Council said it “will pay close attention to travel agencies and other businesses regarding the matter of charging additional credit card charges”.