Charges for payment by Visa Debit?

I have a booking with Scenic. When I contacted them to pay the remainder of the invoice I was advised that they would levy a charge if I paid by Visa Debit - not a credit card:mad:. This is the first time I have been told this. Is it usual practice with Scenic and other cruise companies? (It certainly is not with Swan Hellenic or Noble Caledonia.)

You might try asking on the river cruise forum maybe others will have some insight

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=191

I much prefer the security of my CC in case something should go wrong

About two years ago the Govt banned excessive charges for payment by card. Sellers can now only levy "a small charge to cover the cost of processing a card payment". And the charge must be up-front, not buried away on page 8 of terms & conditions.

In the case of a debit card apparently the average cost is about 20 pence.

So you'd think that the Govt would have the wit to keep the law simple & ban debit card charges completely. But they don't, and they haven't - leaving the consumer unsure whether a charge is fair, reasonable, or lawful.

I suggest you ask your bank (good luck with that :rolleyes:) how much it costs a retailer to process your payment. You might have to press for an answer, in which case ask them if its likely to be anything like the £?? that you're being charged. Ditto with Visa. Remind both that you have the right to know because its your money.

Then, hopefully armed with information, you can put it to Scenic.

They won't want an unhappy customer at the outset, on the other hand I don't suppose you want to wind them up ahead of your cruise.

Expect to spend some time on the phone, much of it listening to music. ;)

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2013/04/credit-and-debit-card-fee-clampdown-begins

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12430635

When there's no CC charge, like No28 I prefer the security a CC gives. But Scenic are ATOL-registered so your money etc is safe.

JB (cruiser & barrack-room lawyer) :)

Debit cards are crap...they offer NO protection and are so easily stolen/scammed/hacked.

They are handier than a check, but do not off the protections of a check.

Use a credit card, or pay cash.

Never, ever use a debit card for your onboard expenses or to pay the fare.

Debit Cards = No Consumer Protection , No Reward Points, No billing cycle payment delay:confused:

Why ever even consider them for any travel purchase ?

Sorry to burst everyone's bubbles here, but many debit cards today DO offer many protections SIMILAR to credit cards (no, not identical). As far as hacking, etc - no different than a credit card. If you use your debit card AS a credit card with merchants, they CANNOT use your card to get cash from ATM's. The PIN #'s are NOT encoded onto the card. If your account is hacked, yes, your checking account can be wiped out, but many debit cards DO offer fraud protection (mine does), as well as a warranty coverage on items you purchase with them. I am so sick of hearing the BS that debit cards have NO protections - that is simply not true for most cards these days. I have at most $50 liability fraud protection with my debit card, and it may even be zero, but would have to double check. Just because others' debit cards have no protections, doesn't mean that all debit cards are the same. Get the facts straight before posting the same outdated BS.

And, I have used a debit card many times for paying off a cruise, and for my onboard account. The trick is to have it run as a CREDIT CARD. DO NOT USE YOUR PIN NUMBER. I have also never had a problem with holds from a cruise line on my card. The Broadmoor Hotel, yes, but never by a cruise line. Besides, not everyone has, or wishes to use a credit card for everything.

Debit Cards = No Consumer Protection NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, No Reward Points NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, No billing cycle payment delay THIS PART IS ACTUALLY CORRECT:confused:

 

Why ever even consider them for any travel purchase ?

Because your opinion is not always the correct answer here. If your debit card offers no consumer protections, or rewards points, then you may need to switch banks.

Never, ever use a debit card for this.