PLEASE don't respond with cut and paste
No surcharge, no ID, blah blah. we know.

Some scumbag small business tried to surcharge me 50 cents for using my VISA.
Called my issuing bank, CHASE, as VISA would tell me to do.

The CSR said "they can surcharge you for credit card"
I told her, no you can't, read the merchant manual.
I was connected to merchant dispute dept. I'm told there's nothing they can do unless I have already been charged.
Furthermore, they (Chase dispute dept) insisted that to dispute it, they require an itemized receipt showing the surcharge as a separate charge.

Basically, at this rate, we're not going to get any compliance for surcharging bastards who won't produce an itemized receipt or minimum purchase required bastards.

Did you get the name of the rep that said they can charge?

Do you live in a no-surcharge state? http://usa.visa.com/personal/using_visa/no-surcharge.html

POST POLICE

I (personally) don't cut and paste (except on rare occasions)



I'm glad I carry the major parts of the MANUAL WITH ME

It fits fine in that place that some people carry that EXPENSIVE CASH STUFF

I could read it to the business or to the credit card company WORD FOR WORD

Some claim near 100% correction when reported, but my experience has been about 50/50.

From teh viewpoint of your bank, it is no different than a requirement to have standing in court...at the time of your call, you (the cardholder) have NOT been harmed, and as such, there IS no basis for the bank to get involved. Once the cardholder has actually sustained a harm, THEN and ONLY THEN does standing exist for the issuer to enter the fray.

You need to properly grasp the regulatory processes before proceeding on ANY sort of a complaint...this holds as true in the credit world as it does in any other part of business.

Violations should be reported directly to Visa.

DON'T BEND-OVER AND LET THE BUSINESS WIN

What do you gain

I have had similar run around with Chase. They told me that merchant can require a minimum charge. I was even asked if I work for MasterCard becuase I was so adamant at the rule. Now I report violations via email to issuer (and card network) and it goes around and around and around in the Phillipines and sometime the answer is just too funny like they never get what I even asked or reported. (We updated your account with the information you provided. Your account reflects the same.) 1. Clear language barrier and 2. I never used the word update in my original message. Fascinating.

I continue to find that the merchant or billing dispute department is the best thing to ask for first of those front line reps as they regulary laise with MA and V and the merchant's processor, but they have to go by the book and the first step is to have the transaction data or they cannot proceed. Shocking.

I always see Deb Walden, Executive VP Customer Experience Chase Card Services, on all these messages to Chase cardholders. Might be worth sending the merchant violation addressed to her and not even detailing how incompent her call centers are.

HSBC is the same way -- around and around and around finally telling me to call MasterCard. Citi seems to get it more so than Chase and HSBC -- though no assurances they even follow-up. All of them say to contact MA or V - but both tell us to contact our issuer -- someone is messed up in the communication.

Keep us posted.

It might be fun if we all ask Chase simple questions like: "May a merchant impose a surcharge when I present a valid Chase card for payment?" or "Can a store require a minimum purchase amount in order to allow me to use my Chase card to pay?" It might be hilarious what replies we get. Then we can reply -- FALSE, gotcha!

I don't like having to give my personal info to them during the report. Don't they mail you a letter afterwards? How do we remain anonymous when reporting a violation? This is why I like the MasterCard online form -- you can use abbrevated names and generic/spam email addresses.

There are several ways to report violations to Visa:

1. Simply call 1-800-VISA-911, press zero twice, and ask to file an "incident report" regarding a merchant violation/merchant who required a surcharge/minimum/ID.

2. Write to Visa Inc. P.O. Box 8999 San Francisco, CA 94128-8999

3. Use the online form: https://corporate.visa.com/ut/contactus.jsp

4. Email: AskVisaUSA@visa.com

5. Contact the bank that issued your Visa card. This however adds an extra step to the process.. It's best to contact Visa directly - 1-800-VISA-911.

Email: AskVisaUSA@visa.com

Dont recommend that. They never forward their emails to the right person anymore.

Source: My experience.

Better stick with the tried and true 1-800-VISA-911 where they do the incident report right over the phone.

I phoned the 800-VISA-911 to report a minimum purchase amount about a month ago.

After lots and lots of information was requested I was finally told that VISA does not handle incidents with cardholders directly and I must contact my bank. They, in turn, will handle it with VISA.

He insisted he could not help me. Not really sure why I had to give him a mortgage application's worth of information before he realized he couldn't help.

I later received a follow up letter thanking me for my call, but telling me they didn't do anything and reminding me that they are unable to assist cardholders directly and I must forward any and all questions and concerns to my bank.

And, as a courtesy for the misunderstanding they researched and successfully located a contact number for my bank and will provide that to me. (Hint: the regular number on the back of the card)

Hang up, call back, press zero twice, and immediately say you want to file an "incident report" regarding a merchant violation/merchant who required a minimum.

http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=265954

That is so crazy. When I call my bank they insist they can do nothing and to call Visa or MasterCard. The thing is I never let the transaction go through at the merchant if I suspect a violation so I have no line item charge to dispute with my bank and thus likely thier response-- are they telling me they want me to follow the merchants rules of a $10 minimum for example, approve of that by signing my reciept and taking my merchandise and then dispute after the fact when I already out $10 or more with stuff I did not even want to buy and they have signed reciepts by me with my intention to follow through on my cardholder agreement!?!?!?! There has got to be a better system.

The MasterCard number for reporting merchant violations is fully automated so there is zero chance of getting some untrained CSR on the phone. Simply call 1-800-300-3069, follow the instructions, and leave the violating merchant’s name/address and violation (requiring ID, minimum, surcharge etc.). You may also report violations online:

http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/c...violations.html

I've discovered that "incident report regarding a merchant" seems to be the magic phrase when making these reports to Visa. They then transfer me to another department that takes the info, and it's easy to do. You need the name, address and phone number of the place. That's for Visa. In a couple of weeks I get a follow up form letter that is not specific about the incident and advises me in the future if there are any problems to contact my issuing bank. I ignore this because Chase seems to have spottily trained agents to deal with this issue.
Master card has a online form.
Others here say that reporting doesn't work but I have to say that everyone I've reported has come into compliance. Some places it took a couple of times, like the post office and Macy's

MY POST OFFICE HAS A SIGN SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THIS: "YOUR CREDIT CARD MUST HAVE YOUR SIGNATURE ON THE BACK OF YOUR CARD OR WE CAN'T TAKE THE CARD...IT IS REQUIRED BY YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY POLICY TO SIGN YOUR CREDIT CARD"

Precisely.