Credit Card Payment Fees rise again
May 15, 2011, 1:40 am
#46
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Auckland, NZ
Programs: NZ/QF/BA
Posts: 218
Not sure about the problems with Australia: I've just spent a week in Melbourne and used less than $80 cash (which is what I arrived with). I do have an Australian EFTPOS card but that wasn't used - just Amex and Mastercard. Yes there were a few places where cash was the only payment method, but the same can be found in NZ if you don't have an NZ EFTPOS card. Since I don't typically carry my NZ or Australian EFTPOS cards with me when I'm in either country, I do resort to cash (yay for banks with free international withdrawals) and find that in a typical week it's <$50 spent in cash/EFTPOS only locations.
Perhaps MEL is different in this regards -- sounds like they're more on par with the likes of AKL/WLG/CHC.
- James
May 15, 2011, 2:36 pm
#48
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NZ
Posts: 731
Hate to disagree cavemanzk but my understanding is that regardless of status you have to buy minimum works fare to get seat selection at time of booking, so in fact they charging all passengers regardless of status for seat selection $50 (seat to works diff).
May 15, 2011, 3:16 pm
#49
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SJC
Programs: NZ*G, QF NB, UA 1K, AA ExecPlat, IHG PlatAmb, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, ZE1 PC
Posts: 2,636
Wow that's lucky for you! Was in SYD earlier this year and every single pub/nightclub I went to only accepted cash regardless of how small/big they were. Restaurants were hit and miss. Small businesses were cash-only. I easily spent >$50 a day cash on food/drinks while I was in SYD simply because the places I went to only accepted cash...
Perhaps MEL is different in this regards -- sounds like they're more on par with the likes of AKL/WLG/CHC.
Perhaps MEL is different in this regards -- sounds like they're more on par with the likes of AKL/WLG/CHC.
May 15, 2011, 4:16 pm
#50
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,414
I have plently of Seat Only booking that Im able to select a seat for, this has been confirmed in a letter sent to all HVC's about 2 weeks ago.
And it goes up again
Dec 13, 2011, 8:05 am
#52
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: BNE/OOL temporarily-permanently at CAK/PIT
Programs: UA*1K & UA Club, National Ex. Elite, Hertz Pres. Circ., Amex Plat., CLEAR
Posts: 1,703
A $3k Y+ fare @ 3% + $25 fee is hitting $115 in fees.
Dec 13, 2011, 10:11 am
#53
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SJC
Programs: NZ*G, QF NB, UA 1K, AA ExecPlat, IHG PlatAmb, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, ZE1 PC
Posts: 2,636
Get a better bank and some of those fees will be eliminated.
Dec 13, 2011, 12:23 pm
#54
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ *G
Posts: 181
We certainly haven't had any changes to our merchant fees for quite some time.
Dec 13, 2011, 6:36 pm
#55
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: AKL
Programs: NZ Silver
Posts: 1,817
The only rationale for it would be if it was percentage based and due to the fares going up so much, that has incurred a greater transaction cost.
Feb 14, 2012, 7:25 pm
#58
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: VA Silver, NZ Gold
Posts: 327
'Why has Air New Zealand added a Card Payment Fee? Answer:
Credit card companies charge Air New Zealand for transacting credit, debit and charge card payments and we are looking to recover some of this cost.'
Indeed, their argument would hold water if the fee was percentage based, cuz for most GAS fares the current rate amounts to 4%-8% of the transaction. Aren't most merchant fees between %1-%3?
Feb 14, 2012, 7:37 pm
#59
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: NZ*G ELT, VA-G
Posts: 3,598
It's ancillary revenue, ie. it's revenue. Otherwise it should be built in the fares. The government should really ban airlines from charging credit card fees like in the US.
Feb 14, 2012, 8:05 pm
#60
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NZ
Posts: 731
From AIRNZ Help Site:https://airnz.custhelp.com/app/answe...2692/related/1
'Why has Air New Zealand added a Card Payment Fee? Answer:
Credit card companies charge Air New Zealand for transacting credit, debit and charge card payments and we are looking to recover some of this cost.'
Indeed, their argument would hold water if the fee was percentage based, cuz for most GAS fares the current rate amounts to 4%-8% of the transaction. Aren't most merchant fees between %1-%3?
'Why has Air New Zealand added a Card Payment Fee? Answer:
Credit card companies charge Air New Zealand for transacting credit, debit and charge card payments and we are looking to recover some of this cost.'
Indeed, their argument would hold water if the fee was percentage based, cuz for most GAS fares the current rate amounts to 4%-8% of the transaction. Aren't most merchant fees between %1-%3?