A minimum amount of 5 or 10 euros for card payment is required in some small shops in Blagoevgrad. The restriction occurs in merchants who have a POS terminal - a device for accepting payments with bank cards. For customers, this sometimes means an unforeseen expense, especially when they only have a card and want to buy cheap goods.
“They told me that it is not good to shop with a card for less than 10 euros. I don't know why. Do they have any fees in the shops, I don't know... It is very inconvenient“, says Antoaneta Manova.
The reason given by some merchants is the fees they pay to the bank for card transactions. Luiza Alexandrova, a store manager, explains that there is no single fixed fee for each payment.
When the limit is permissible
Not every store is required to accept card payments. The exception is restaurants and entertainment establishments that are categorized with two or more stars. When the merchant voluntarily offers card payment, he can set a minimum purchase value.
However, this does not mean that the customer can be faced with a condition that he only understands at the checkout. The restriction must be announced in advance with visible and understandable information in the retail outlet.
„This should be announced at the front of the sales floor, in a way that is visible and understandable to consumers“, says Gabriela Rumenova from „Nie, konsumer“.
What can customers do
According to Rumenova, the lack of indication can lead to unfair practice. The customer may have selected several goods, but not have a few euro cents or a larger amount to reach the specified minimum. Then he may buy an additional product that he would not have otherwise taken.
„This damages his economic interests“, says Rumenova.
Retail outlets that do not indicate the minimum amount for card payment may be sanctioned by the Consumer Protection Commission. For the customer, the practical rule is to check the conditions before the purchase and, in the absence of clear information, to ask for an explanation from the merchant.
Zoya Hadzhieva defines the restriction as inconvenient, since more and more people do not carry cash. After the introduction of the euro, card payments are used more and more often in shops and restaurants, but this does not cancel the obligation of merchants to inform customers about the conditions set.
Sources: bntnews.bg