You might be shocked to know that, as a credit card consumer, you may have paid up to £25 in hidden charges! A huge number of credit card users’ end up paying hefty charges that are taken without their knowledge. It has become such a burning issue that the Treasury Select Committee has called on all credit card providers to offer clearer, more transparent deals to their customers.
Hidden Charges You Pay
Until that happens, you ought to be aware of the mind-boggling amounts you could be paying in hidden charges.
Late payments – If you delay making your monthly payments until after the due date you may find yourself paying additional fees ranging from £15 to £25.
Exceed credit limit
– If you happen to clip past the valid credit limit offered by your credit card company, you should be prepared to pay anywhere between £15 and £25.
Statement copies
– Yes, even this is frequently chargeable; you may even be paying up to £5 per page of your statement.
Voucher copies
– If you lose your voucher and request a copy, then you may find yourself paying £5 for it. If you happen to be in another country or overseas, be prepared to pay even £10!
Unpaid direct debits
– This can cost you a hefty hidden charge of between £15 and £20 each time the direct debit is rejected due to insufficient funds.
To allay fears of hidden charges, credit card companies have begun to offer ‘summary boxes’. In these boxes you are supposed to get a bird’s eye view of the:
exact charges and fees
interest rates
repayment details
balance transfers
due debts etc
that are levied by the company. However, for the lay person many summary boxes are difficult to comprehend. This has increased fears that credit card companies offer lower initial rates simply to kill the competition and get customers and that once customers begin using their cards, they recover this money through the back door with their hidden charges.
The Hidden Charge of Credit Card Cheques
Another substantial hidden charge most companies levy is in the form of credit card cheques. Most credit card consumers don’t even realize that companies begin by mailing unsolicited credit card cheques to them. They make tantalizing offers of how consumers can issue these cheques and then pay back the outstanding using their credit cards.
Consider these shocking statistics:
You might have to pay almost double interest on credit card cheques. For example, if your APR is 9.95%, then you may safely assume that the rate will jump to something in the range of 21% if you decide to use credit card cheques.
Such cheques will not normally offer an interest free period. So, from the moment you use the cheque, the interest clock starts ticking away furiously.
Add a 2% fee for cash handling charges
Credit card cheques, along with normal credit cards, levy hidden charges so be careful the next time you sign up for a credit card and always check your statement.
