Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNSOURCE) — The Consumer Affairs Department is warning retailers in St. Kitts not to set a minimum purchase limit for transactions made with VISA debit cards.
“It has come to our attention that certain merchants have adopted the practice of establishing minimum purchase requirements for transactions made with VISA debit cards.
It is imperative that consumers are well-informed about their rights in this regard as there should be no imposition of minimum purchase amounts for debit card transactions,” the Consumer Affairs Department said in a statement.
“Merchants who engage in such practices are in violation of the VISA rules governing merchant agreements which govern the utilization of point-of-sale devices. This non compliance may potentially expose merchants to the risk of having their card processing machines revoked by their issuing bank,” the statement added.
People complained on social media that they were subject to a minimum purchase requirement when making a transaction with their VISA debit card since some companies require the purchase to be more than $20 or $25. Others claim that when using their VISA debit cards, a service fee was applied.
The punishment for non-compliance, according to a comment on social media, does not promote compliance. According to the comment, the Consumer Affairs Department should impose fines, and if businesses still don’t comply, their right to use a point-of-sale system should be removed.
Contact the Consumer Affairs Department for more information and support if you find yourself required to make a minimum purchase for debit card transactions.
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