Joe Hockey’s office has contacted me about our banning credit card surcharge petitions – that's thanks to your support and over 90,000 signatures. It’s great they’re listening, but now the government must commit to act on unfair surcharges. The RBA is due to reach a decision on surcharge regulation in the coming weeks. Let's not allow a government sanctioned cost of living tax to emerge! That's the impact of legislating in favour of a credit card surcharge by the RBA which would result in surcharges being applied to all of our costs! Can you help by emailing key Cabinet Ministers today telling them that you urgently want a ban on credit card surcharges - I have listed their email addresses below: Minister for Finance: senator.cormann@aph.gov.au Minister for Social Services: scott.morrison.mp@aph.gov.au Minister for Small Business: b.billson.mp@aph.gov.au Minster for Communications: malcolm.turnbull.mp@aph.gov.au Prime Minister: peta.credlin@pm.gov.au We’re getting close! Greedy companies must stop ripping off Australians with these ludicrous surcharges on purchases and bill payments. Thanks for your support. Klaus P.s it would be great to hear the responses you receive - please feel free to forward any correspondence nomorecreditcardsurcharges@gmail.com ============= Email I sent to each member of cabinet: URGENT: You must vote to ban Credit Card Surcharges say over 200,000 Australians Dear xxx On the 26th of July I wrote to Mr Joe Hockey to request a meeting to seek his support for the banning of Credit Card Surcharges on behalf of over 200,000 Australian’s that have so far signed my change.org petitions. I was pleased that his office has responded; however time is running out to ensure that these are banned in Australia. Credit Card Surcharges are tantamount to a Government Sanctioned Cost of Living Increase! And all they will do is add to the increased credit card debt held by all Australian’s as we see them being applied to EVERY payment we make if not banned by the Government. We must not allow the RBA to expand existing regulation around Credit Card Surcharges. You may not be aware, I am a Gold Coast businessman who began a change.org petition back in 2013 after being slugged with what I considered an unfair surcharge by Jetstar. I observed that these charges were being increasingly adopted by Australian business at diverse percentages, often disguised as “booking or service fees” that only apply when a credit card is used for payment. I believe surcharges should be banned and 200,000 people agree with me, having supported the petition since it began. They have no place in our economy. The majority of the western world agrees it has no place in theirs either. It’s simple profiteering by companies and you have the power to ban then here. Just some of the concerns raised through the petition include: The advertised price of a product and services no longer reflects the price at the time of payment, which is tantamount to misleading consumers. Surcharges harm consumers - adding to the overall cost of living pressures. Regulation is out of kilter with current government policy – we need less not more. The benefits businesses receive from using credit cards are often ignored, as are the costs of cash transactions. Why should consumers pay for these benefits? As the Reserve Bank of Australia is about to make its decision on surcharging regulation, it’s important that Cabinet discuss the government’s response to the views of those that have signed this petition that want to see surcharges banned. The petition has already received significant media coverage and is about to ramp up as this issue comes to a head. I will also be letting the petition followers know that I have written to you asking for your support, and will be asking them to do the same. I am available to discuss any aspects of this email and credit card surcharges. Klaus Bartosch ===============