We are all aware that some (well a minority) service providers charge a fee to use a credit card for payment, but has anyone been charged a fee to use EFTPOS?
For the last year I have been a member of Fitness First. I only ever join for a limited period and pay upfront in full (i.e. no direct debit arrangement). I am not under contract and always rejoin and cancel at the same time so there is no question of on-going payments.
Today I went to renew my membership only to be told the following:
- If I use a credit card I will be charged 50c per fortnight - each time the fully paid fees are ‘drawn down’ from THEIR account.
- If I use the same card but to access the linked bank account i.e. an EFTPOS payment direct from my bank account NOT my credit card, then the same 50c per fortnight fee will apply each time they draw down the fortnightly amount from THEIR account.
- They treat the card as a credit card unless you also provide your BSB and bank account details.
- And the 50c fee is charged each fortnight either to your credit card or bank account.
For the last year there has been no mention of this fee nor has it been secretly implemented. I even checked the Terms and Conditions on the Fitness First website and there is no mention of this fee nor its application to EFTPOS payments. They do mention an $8 fee you have to pay to suspend membership if you go on holiday for example. Given the weekly fee is already higher than an extended membership say of 12 months, I cannot see that this extra fee for EFTPOS is warranted. I didn’t renew my membership!
I am interested to know whether anyone else has ever been charged a fee for EFTPOS payments and continue to be charged the EFTPOS fee even after the transaction is complete?
