By Mapaballo Borotho

- Some spaza shop customers say they are being charged an additional R2, R5 or even R10 when paying by bank card.
- The National Consumer Commission has warned businesses that adding these charges could violate the Consumer Protection Act.
- The watchdog is calling on suppliers to comply with consumer protection laws and honour the displayed price of products.
Local spaza shops have been warned against adding additional charges when customers use their bank cards to pay.
Some spaza shops, particularly in townships, reportedly charge customers at least R10 extra on top of the price they are already paying when they use their bank cards.
Customers allege that in some cases, they are required to add R2 or R5 to the displayed price when paying by card.
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has cautioned against the practice of adding these hidden charges, saying it violates the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
“We remind suppliers of goods and services in the Republic of South Africa, from spaza shops and SMEs to big retailers, that they cannot charge consumers any additional fees when they pay using their cards,” said NCC spokesperson Pheto Ntaba.
“Section 23 of the Consumer Protection Act stipulates that suppliers are strictly bound to honour the displayed price of a product.”
Ntaba says it is about time the NCC reaches out to businesses that engage in practices that go against the CPA and nudges them towards compliance with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act and other laws of the Republic.
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