Do you check your credit card statements closely? Suresh Patel reckons most retailers don’t pay much attention to small amounts. He wondered how many people have twigged that they will have to pay about £30-£35 annually to cover merchant acquirer compliance at the till.
In his case, Elavon levied the £35 charge for a PCI compliance certificate. He says it wasn’t in the terms and conditions.
I last wrote about the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard in October 2012, when a retailer was being charged £30 by Streamline. The UK Cards Association spokeswoman told me at the time that the security checks per annum were to prevent further penalties should things go wrong.
Although Suresh’s terminal is supplied by PayZone, I consulted PayPoint’s spokesman Peter Brooker because he is rather good at things financial.
He says: “As the regulations to protect customers and their data are strengthened, all acquirers are being required to ensure their merchants are PCI compliant.”
He also confirmed what I suspected. “It is likely that acquirers will have a provision in their contracts for varying charges as well as a specific provision for extending costs to ensure compliance with industry (FSA and or PCI) regulation and standards.”
