09 Sep Why am I charged a fee to use a debit card?

Q. I have been charged a 3% fee each time I use my debit card at my nail salon. They act like they don’t understand that it is against the law to do this on debit cards. How can I explain this to the owner?
— Frustrated

A. You’re correct that fees can’t be charged on debit cards.

But you’re probably wrong in this case.

Assuming your debit card has a Visa or Mastercard logo, unless you’re entering a PIN for the purchase, it’s being run as a credit card and not a debit card. That’s why the shop can legally charge the fee.

But if you’re entering a PIN for the purchase, that’s a different story.

You can file a complaint to Consumer Affairs if you think you’re wrongly being charged the fee.

Email your questions to .

This story was originally published in September 2025.

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