Consumers complain to Action 9 about being charged fee for debit cards

You probably know that you may have to pay a surcharge for using a credit card. But when it comes to your debit card, that can be a gray area.

>>CLICK HERE for more Action 9 reports

John Norris runs Southern Rust Furniture in Monroe. They build things like big office desks. They rely on vendors and pay them -- using debit -- to avoid extra fees. But then they realized “it was 3% every charge.”

He says they caught it early, so we’re talking hundreds, not thousands, of dollars.

“To me, it’s a bigger issue that needs to be addressed,” he told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke.

But Norris is not sure how many others paid the extra fee, too. He says he brought it to the vendor’s attention.

“It turns out that they had a new system and were not properly trained,” Norris said.

Norris says he noticed a similar issue at a gas station recently.

“This is a pathway for Myrtle Beach and unsuspecting people, how many people, kids, swipe, tap? They don’t realize it, bang, bang, bang,” he said.

Norris says the first vendor gave him credit for a future purchase. As for the gas station, he says he has filed two complaints with them. At last check, he hadn’t heard back.

Action 9 reached out to the businesses Norris mentioned, but didn’t hear back in time for this report.

Businesses aren’t supposed to charge a surcharge for using debit, but there can be a fine line.

“The cash discount is a very close cousin to the surcharge and the cash discount is OK. So, sometimes, it depends legally on how you frame this,” Ted Rossman, with Bankrate.com, said. “It’s OK to say that it costs 3% less if you pay with cash. It may not be OK to say it costs 3% more if you pay with debit. But it’s kind of a wishy-washy definition that not all merchants or consumers are understanding.”

Stoogenke’s advice:

• If you’re worried about paying a fee for using debit:
• Ask
• Check your receipt
• See an extra charge? Challenge it.
• If all else fails: File a complaint with the state attorney general.

©2026 Cox Media Group