FOOD NEWS
New Jersey Restaurants Are Being Fined For Surprise Credit Card Fees
BY AUTUMN SWIERS
Surprise credit card fees are imposed by banking companies on merchants every time a credit card is swiped, and over the past 10 years, they have gotten more than twice as high.
It's legal for restaurants to add surcharges to the bill for using a credit card, but they must inform their customers about who's fronting the swipe fee.
There are 16 New Jersey eateries now facing hefty fines for failing to be transparent after the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs spent a year investigating these businesses.
The restaurants now face penalty fees ranging from $500 to $4,000. Additionally, 12 restaurants were also sanctioned for refusing to accept cash payments.
Informing customers about card-processing fees became a state law in New Jersey in August 2023, requiring restaurants to post several "clear and conspicuous" notifications.