# Monarch Airlines to scrap debit card booking fees



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

*Monarch Airlines to scrap debit card booking fees*

Low-cost carrier will not add surcharge to debit card bookings, but has introduced a £10 flat fee for credit card use












Monarch has axed debit card booking fees but credit card use will cost £10. Photograph: Alan Schein Photography

The scheduled leisure carrier Monarch Airlines is scrapping all debit card booking fees from today, while payments by credit card will trigger a flat fee of £10 a booking.
Monarch chief executive Conrad Clifford said the charging shake-up was intended to provide an "upfront, transparent and simple to understand" policy. It is designed to differentiate Monarch from other budget airlines, and is likely to put pressure on rivals to follow suit.
The announcement was welcomed by the consumer organisation Which?, which earlier this year lodged a super complaint with the Office of Fair Trading to try and stamp out what it described as the spiralling "rip-off" surcharges levied on debit and credit card transactions.
Low-cost carriers have led the way in charging hefty fees for the privilege of paying by plastic, but the latest research by Which? revealed that these "unjustifiable" charges are increasingly standard practice across a wide range of business sectors – from local councils and florists to dentists, dealerships and estate agents.
Ryanair currently charges an "administration fee" of £12 a return flight for paying with a debit or credit card, while easyJet levies a charge of £8 a booking (except for Visa Electron), plus extra for credit card payments. Clifford said: "In these difficult economic times there is absolutely no justification advertising one fare and then stinging consumers with hidden excess charges."
All customers using debit cards to book Monarch's scheduled flights will not incur booking fees, while those opting to pay using a credit card will be charged a £10 fee, regardless of the value of the transaction or the number of people travelling. This means family groups will benefit from the flat rate, but solo travellers will lose out.
Rochelle Turner, head of research for Which? Travel, said: "Over 42,000 people have told us they want to see an end to excessive card fees, so it's great to see that Monarch is scrapping charges for debit card payments, and making credit card fees transparent and upfront.
"While low-cost airlines are some of the worst offenders when it comes to excessive card surcharges, this murky practice is becoming ever more widespread – from cinemas to hotels and even some local authorities."
She said the cost to businesses for taking payment by debit card was "a matter of pennies, so there's simply no justification for excessive fees. We'd like to see others follow in the footsteps of Monarch and stop using processing costs to boost their profits."



guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2011


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## Joulesw (Jun 5, 2011)

*Monarch*

What about debit visa cards, my NatWest debit card has been replaced by a debit visa.

Joulesw


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Joulesw said:


> What about debit visa cards, my NatWest debit card has been replaced by a debit visa.
> 
> Joulesw


It's still a debit card though, it should be fine.


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## Joulesw (Jun 5, 2011)

*visa debit cards*

Thank you


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