I’ll pay for good service, but I don’t like having a surprise percentage added to the tally and then handed to me on the Chip-and-PIN keypad, as happened a few days ago. I find it presumptuous, jarring and positively American, and is part of the reason I have a downer on Salvation Jane at the moment.

For heaven’s sake: if you’re gonna fix a service charge then just adopt the Belgian system, eradicate tips and mark-up the prices.

Anyway.

The government is going ahead with its plan to ban retailers from imposing excessive or surprise charges on people who pay by debit or credit card.

The plan was first announced last December following a recommendation from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Airlines, theatres and other retailers will have to make sure their card charges are clearly displayed upfront.

via BBC News – Clampdown on debit and credit cards going ahead.