Fee for using a non-EU card in the EU

[gaijin]

The consumer reports for German Switzerland (Espresso) published a report today about a payment terminal company (Flatpay) charging a fee for using a non-EU card (e.g. a Swiss debit or credit card). The fee can be up to 4%. The tricky point about this fee is that it's not clearly communicated. It's added on top of the EUR amount. You have to compare the amount on the Flatpay terminal with the amount that you are supposed to pay (which I almost never do, I assumed that choosing EUR is safe.). According to the report, shops that are using Flatpay terminals can chose to enable this fees. The only way to avoid this fee is to pay in cash, which is often times a very cumbersome option.
I have never experienced this fee so far. But since I never checked the amount on the terminal, I might have missed it. Going forward, I will check the amount on the terminals more closely. Also, I wonder if the fee also applies to Wise and Revolut.

 

[Baptiste Wicht]

This really sucks.

We are being taxed already more than enough by the Swiss credit cards themselves. I guess that's another price to pay to stay out of the EU...

We did not see that when we went to Germany last year, but I may have missed some extra fees

 

[leochance]

The consumer reports for German Switzerland (Espresso) published a report today about a payment terminal company (Flatpay) charging a fee for using a non-EU card (e.g. a Swiss debit or credit card). The fee can be up to 4%. The tricky point about this fee is that it's not clearly communicated. It's added on top of the EUR amount. You have to compare the amount on the Flatpay terminal with the amount that you are supposed to pay (which I almost never do, I assumed that choosing EUR is safe.). According to the report, shops that are using Flatpay terminals can chose to enable this fees. The only way to avoid this fee is to pay in cash, which is often times a very cumbersome option.
I have never experienced this fee so far. But since I never checked the amount on the That's Not My Neighbor terminal, I might have missed it. Going forward, I will check the amount on the terminals more closely. Also, I wonder if the fee also applies to Wise and Revolut.

Really sucks. The practice by providers like Flatpay of quietly adding surcharges of up to 4% on non-EU cards (such as Swiss cards) is highly inconvenient and can easily lead consumers into a "hidden cost" trap when shopping abroad.