Credit card surcharges!

[J&Jtravelcouple]

I've always paid with credit cards and never surcharged.

 

This is Australia cruise specific.

 

Here is the actual screen shot from the Guest Check-In on Cruise Personalizer.

[Canada 59]

Do they charge a currency exchange fee on your credit card. All cards in Canada started doing it a year ago!

 

 

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[Aussie Gal]

We have just paid for a cruise of 35 days on Princess in April. Besides paying the large amount of the cruise, an additional $579.00 was added to our balance as the credit card fee. This fee is added to credit card payment at every hotel that you stay in Australia and for any travel where you need to use a credit card.

 

We can book our cruises in the U.S. having a "history" of booking going back to the 90's but with our low exchange rate to the U.S. dollar, it is cheaper to book it here down here. We are all up in arms about these fees and our Government was going to change the law so that it wouldn't occur but nothing has come of it yet.

 

So, paying a small amount whilst on board our cruise next week is nothing to the larger amount we have just paid out for the cruise in April. We just have to "grin and bear it "and be thankful that we have the time and money to be able to cruise.

 

Jennie

Edited January 14, 2017 by Aussie Gal

[Opua Kiwi]

The booking surcharge can be avoided by transferring monies directly to the Carnival Aust or NZ bank accounts.

Include the booking reference in the details.

[Aussie Gal]

The booking surcharge can be avoided by transferring monies directly to the Carnival Aust or NZ bank accounts.

Include the booking reference in the details.

 

Of course we could have paid Princess by direct debit but then we would have missed out on double points using our Credit Card. I would rather have the points as they were more than we needed for one Business Class flight back from Singapore! :)

 

Transferring money to a N.Z. Bank Account just to avoid the fee just isn't worth the amount of time and effort it would take to set an account up.:(

 

Jennie

[Opua Kiwi]

I don't disagree Jennie. :)

I made the post really for other readers who may have different circumstances.

 

When I said NZ bank account I was referring to the Carnival NZ bank acct.

This means Kiwis can send monies to the Carnival NZ account as we pay in NZD.

[GUT2407]

Thats sucks if it's only for certain markets. We have never had a fee added.

 

Lots of differences on cruises from Australia with Princess (or most line's for that matter).

[GUT2407]

It is an Aussie thing. You'll get the same surcharge at hotels all over Australia. It seems to be a point of law rather than a customary charge.

 

It's not a law, a few years back companies were given permission to charge a fee, so they did. Even some petrol (gas) stations charge it. It sucks.

[GUT2407]

This is obviously referring to Aussie cc charges.

It is my understanding that when Mastercard and Visa were first introduced into Australia in the terms and conditions for merchants they were not allowed to pass on the merchant fee which was a percentage of the transaction amount and that percentage depended on the amount of cc payments the merchant put through the system per annum. Somewhere the rule about not passing on the changes has been changed or Mastercard and Visa now turn a blind eye to it. For some merchants the fee can be about 0.3% yet they are charging the customer far more. This is happening with the airlines in particular and politicians have been talking for a long time about stopping this but as usual with politicians, talks cheap.

 

The prohibition on charging a fee or less for cash went back to the introduction of BankCard back in '74.

 

It was only changed to allow to charge the fee in the last decade or so.

[linanles]

We have just paid for a cruise of 35 days on Princess in April. Besides paying the large amount of the cruise, an additional $579.00 was added to our balance as the credit card fee.

 

At 1.1% that is $52,636 for a 35 day cruise, I guess that's for two in a suite. There a many travel agents that don't charge credit card fees.

[Sveltana]

Do they charge a currency exchange fee on your credit card. All cards in Canada started doing it a year ago!

 

I'm from Canada and I use the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card whenever I buy something outside Canada. There is no Foreign Currency Transaction Fees and no annual fee.

 

You can get it here: https://www.chase.com/online/canada/amazon-ca-home.htm

[Aussie Gal]

At 1.1% that is $52,636 for a 35 day cruise, I guess that's for two in a suite. There a many travel agents that don't charge credit card fees.

 

We certainly didn't pay that much for our cruise. We paid around $25000.00 for one of the beautiful big mini's on the Sea Princess. I don't know of many T.A's that don't charge the fee. We deal directly with Princess Australia and always get any price reductions. :)

 

Jennie

[J&Jtravelcouple]

Do they charge a currency exchange fee on your credit card. All cards in Canada started doing it a year ago!

 

 

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Please see message #50. Most do, one doesn't.

 

 

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[J&Jtravelcouple]

We certainly didn't pay that much for our cruise. We paid around $25000.00 for one of the beautiful big mini's on the Sea Princess. I don't know of many T.A's that don't charge the fee. We deal directly with Princess Australia and always get any price reductions. :)

 

 

 

Jennie

 

 

There was probably a 2-3% foreign transaction fee in there.

 

 

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[linanles]

We certainly didn't pay that much for our cruise. We paid around $25000.00 for one of the beautiful big mini's on the Sea Princess.

 

1.1% of $25000 is only $275. I'd check what you have been charged for.

I've only dealt with one online travel agent and they don't charge a creditcard fee. I just assumed the others wouldn't either to remain competitive but I guess they do.

[Aussie Gal]

1.1% of $25000 is only $275. I'd check what you have been charged for.

I've only dealt with one online travel agent and they don't charge a creditcard fee. I just assumed the others wouldn't either to remain competitive but I guess they do.

 

We were probably charged the higher amount due to the fact we used Amex. In Australia often there is a higher surcharge if you choose to use Amex instead of Visa or Mastercard.

 

Jennie

[Womble99]

We were probably charged the higher amount due to the fact we used Amex. In Australia often there is a higher surcharge if you choose to use Amex instead of Visa or Mastercard.

 

Jennie

 

For those who use Amex down under you maybe be able to reduce your fees by using the Paypal option as it only has 1% listed on the personailser and it takes any type of card. I haven't tried it yet but I do have a cruise payment coming up so I will be giving it a go to see what happens.

[Womble99]

For those who use Amex down under you maybe be able to reduce your fees by using the Paypal option as it only has 1% listed on the personailser and it takes any type of card. I haven't tried it yet but I do have a cruise payment coming up so I will be giving it a go to see what happens.

 

Made a test payment today for $1000, came through on my bank statement as $1010 so yes you only get charged 1% for using AMEX through Paypal

[Aussie Gal]

Made a test payment today for $1000, came through on my bank statement as $1010 so yes you only get charged 1% for using AMEX through Paypal

 

That's good to know as when I looked at it, I had forgotten that Princess charges the extra percentages for credit cards. I will remember that in future. I worked out that we were charged 2.3% extra. Of course it doesn't mention anywhere on the invoice that we will be charged that extra amount. It only shows up on the personaliser and on the Amex Statement. On my actual invoice is just shows the actual amount we owe and when the payment is made it still only shows that amount as what was owing. I do think that is very misleading.

 

Jennie

[cheznandy]

Made a test payment today for $1000, came through on my bank statement as $1010 so yes you only get charged 1% for using AMEX through Paypal

 

Womble99, thanks for testing:p

We pay with Visa/Amex to get our travel insurance, prefer Amex for more points.

Will try Paypal when paying for our next cruise with Princess:)

[J&Jtravelcouple]

That's good to know as when I looked at it, I had forgotten that Princess charges the extra percentages for credit cards. I will remember that in future. I worked out that we were charged 2.3% extra. Of course it doesn't mention anywhere on the invoice that we will be charged that extra amount. It only shows up on the personaliser and on the Amex Statement. On my actual invoice is just shows the actual amount we owe and when the payment is made it still only shows that amount as what was owing. I do think that is very misleading.

 

 

 

Jennie

 

 

The personalized only shows 1.1%. I would think anything beyond that was added by your CC co. You can ask Princess to be sure. If it's > 1.1% from Princess, you may want to request a refund.

 

 

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[Opua Kiwi]

The personalized only shows 1.1%. I would think anything beyond that was added by your CC co. You can ask Princess to be sure. If it's > 1.1% from Princess, you may want to request a refund.

My personaliser shows 2.3% if using Amex or Diner's.

[J&Jtravelcouple]

My personaliser shows 2.3% if using Amex or Diner's.

 

 

Whoa! Are we still talking about Australia?

 

 

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[Aussie Gal]

My personaliser shows 2.3% if using Amex or Diner's.

 

That is exactly what we were charged when we used our Amex. When the final payment goes well over $20,000 you are looking at quite a big increase added to the account. We will definitely use Paypal in the future!:(

 

Jennie

[Womble99]

Whoa! Are we still talking about Australia?

 

 

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Yes, Princess is still operating in Australia