A Sydney man has criticised a café for adding two surcharges to his order, claiming there was ‘no mention’ of the extra fees before he ordered.
The sandwich from Kosta’s Takeaway in Rosebery was priced at $18.50 but ended up costing $21.27 after additional surcharges were applied.
They were a weekend surcharge of $2.55 and a 1.2 per cent card payment fee, totalling 22 cents.
Complaining about the charges on Reddit, the man wrote: ‘I was surprised by the notification on my phone that I got charged $21.27.
‘The menu price is high, but the total was way too steep.
‘Went back after I finished eating and the guy said they had a weekend surcharge.’
The customer said the total price of his sandwich surprised him as there was ‘no mention’ of the two surcharges.
‘There is no mention of a weekend surcharge or card surcharge anywhere, on the menu, the display board, or at the cashier.
The customer’s sandwich was slapped with a weekend surcharge and a 1.2 per cent credit card fee
The customer believes that the popularity of the Square payment system has made it harder for customers to see what they will be charged, as there is no screen facing them
‘Almost $3 of sneaky non-disclosed surcharges for one sandwich is just taking the p***.’
The man also raised concerns about the store’s payment terminal, noting that it didn’t have a display screen to show the total amount before payment.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission states that businesses are legally allowed to charge surcharges on weekends and public holidays, provided they are clearly displayed to customers.
‘They don’t need to include this charge in the total price displayed for their products, as an exemption under the law applies to them,’ it says.
‘However, if they charge such a surcharge, they must include these words on the menu: ‘A surcharge of [percentage] applies on [day or days].’
‘These words must be at least as prominent as the most prominent price on the menu.’
The ACCC said customers should made aware of any surcharges before they order, and if they are not listed on the menu, they must ‘be displayed in some other prominent way’.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Kosta’s Takeaway for comment.
