Revealed: The secret card fee stinging Coles shoppers at tap and go services that are making your grocery bills more expensive
- Coles customers are being stung with a sneaky fee for using tap and go service
- Tap and go purchases processed as eftpos transaction instead of as a visa/credit
- Sharp-eyed shoppers are now urging others to avoid the tap and go function
Coles customers have been left shocked after discovering they are being stung with sneaky fees for using the tap and go service.
The supermarket giant recently started processing tap and go purchases as an eftpos transaction instead of as a visa/credit transaction, resulting in the additional fees.
Sharp-eyed shoppers have been urging others to avoid the tap and go function in a bid to avoid being charged more.
Coles customers have been left shocked after discovering they are being stung for using the tap and go service
‘I just went to my bank to question an $18 transaction fee (never had one before) they told me that Coles have changed the format on their Eftpos machines and if you TAP your card it goes through as an EFTPOS transaction not Credit (I have unlimited credit transactions on my account but limited EFTPOS transactions). They told me to now insert my card and select credit,’ one person wrote.
‘I had $11 charge too for transaction fees which I’ve NEVER been charged and I’m at Coles daily,’ wrote another.
The only way to avoid the fee is to insert cards and avoid the tap and go service.
A Coles spokesperson told New Idea the company decided to change the way it processes some debit card payments at its supermarkets, liquor stores and Coles Express sites last year.
‘This means that when a customer taps their Visa debit card the purchase will be automatically processed via eftpos, instead of Visa/credit. If a customer wishes to pay via Visa/credit, they need to insert their card and manually select credit.
The supermarket giant recently started processing tap and go purchases as an eftpos transaction instead of as a visa/credit transaction, resulting in the sneaky fee
‘The new process will make it easier for customers to keep track of their budget as the payment may appear on their account sooner than when previously processed via Visa.’
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, a spokesman said a small number of financial institutions have elected to charge their customers high fees for paying with eftpos at any retailer in Australia.
‘Coles does not charge customers any fees for using any cards, regardless of whether they use Visa or eftpos.’
Eftpos spokesman Warwick Ponder said there was a very small percentage of financial institutions that charge a transaction fees.
‘Eftpos strongly believes that customers should not be impacted, as the funds come out of the same account. These cards are dual network cards and merchants can choose to route transactions to either eftpos or the other scheme to manage costs, which can have positive impact for the merchant and all of their customers.
‘The vast majority of financial institutions changed this practice a long time ago (particularly after eftpos interchange fee rates were reversed in favour of issuing banks in 2012).’