Is 1.1% surcharge fee something new?

[YWW]

While I was in my Guest Information tab and under Shipboard Account, I noticed there's a verbiage right under credit card details in BOLD RED color that says "If you are using a credit card to pay for your onboard charges, a surcharge fee of 1.1% will be applied. Debit cards do not incur a surcharge". I don't recall ever seeing this in previous voyages. Is this something that has just been added recently? I assume what it means is on the last day of your sailing and you use your credit card on file to settle your account, there'll be a 1.1% surcharge added on top of the total. Please advise. Thanks.

[Island wannabe]

Just checked mine for our August cruise and it doesn't have any of that language :confused:

[moki'smommy]

Very interesting. I just looked at the info for our upcoming cruise--that information does not appear.

[diane.in.ny]

Where are you sailing? Australia? Because that's where I know a surcharge is added.

[YWW]

We just booked the Australia New Zealand sailing on Majestic Princess departing out of Sydney on Feb 18, 2019 and this 1.1% surcharge verbiage appears under this sailing. I wonder whether this is something new from Princess effective 2019.

[moki'smommy]

We just booked the Australia New Zealand sailing on Majestic Princess departing out of Sydney on Feb 18, 2019 and this 1.1% surcharge verbiage appears under this sailing. I wonder whether this is something new from Princess effective 2019.

More likely, just for Australia.

[skynight]

We just booked the Australia New Zealand sailing on Majestic Princess departing out of Sydney on Feb 18, 2019 and this 1.1% surcharge verbiage appears under this sailing. I wonder whether this is something new from Princess effective 2019.

Just checked the credit card section of my February 2019 Hawaii sailing. No mention of a surcharge. Believe diane in ny is correct, for Australia based cruises.

[trbarton]

Yes...I’ts for Australian cruises.

This was listed on my Australian cruise. My cruise says that all charges will be in Australian dollars.

Tom😎

[CruisinFinsUp]

My understanding is that this is in Australia only due to the way credit card fees are dealt with.

 

In north america, vendors pay the fees charged by card companies and pass them along to the consumers thru product pricing.

In Australia the card user pays the fee directly - hence the 1.1% fee.

[RDC1]

While I was in my Guest Information tab and under Shipboard Account, I noticed there's a verbiage right under credit card details in BOLD RED color that says "If you are using a credit card to pay for your onboard charges, a surcharge fee of 1.1% will be applied. Debit cards do not incur a surcharge". I don't recall ever seeing this in previous voyages. Is this something that has just been added recently? I assume what it means is on the last day of your sailing and you use your credit card on file to settle your account, there'll be a 1.1% surcharge added on top of the total. Please advise. Thanks.

 

This wouldn't happen to be on one of the Australian based ships would it? Pretty common practice there.

[OzKiwiJJ]

It's a very annoying Australian surcharge, unfortunately. :mad:

[rkmw]

While I was in my Guest Information tab and under Shipboard Account, I noticed there's a verbiage right under credit card details in BOLD RED color that says "If you are using a credit card to pay for your onboard charges, a surcharge fee of 1.1% will be applied. Debit cards do not incur a surcharge". I don't recall ever seeing this in previous voyages. Is this something that has just been added recently? I assume what it means is on the last day of your sailing and you use your credit card on file to settle your account, there'll be a 1.1% surcharge added on top of the total. Please advise. Thanks.

 

just pay with a debit card and no fees then but there could be holds placed on your card

[YWW]

Thanks so much for clearing that up. Since we've never been to down under, we didn't know about this special Australian voyage surcharge fee. Can I assume all customers will have to pay some type of service charge fee whenever a credit card is used to purchase products or services throughout Australia?

[rkmw]

Thanks so much for clearing that up. Since we've never been to down under, we didn't know about this special Australian voyage surcharge fee. Can I assume all customers will have to pay some type of service charge fee whenever a credit card is used to purchase products or services throughout Australia?

 

yes if you pay by credit card you are charged a fee, debit card if free but they do place holds on the debit card

 

a lot of people use cash and no fees but you'd have to convert USD to AUD cash

[diane.in.ny]

It is normal for all credit card purchases in Australia to have this fee added.

[cflutist]

My understanding is that this is in Australia only due to the way credit card fees are dealt with.

 

In north america, vendors pay the fees charged by card companies and pass them along to the consumers thru product pricing.

In Australia the card user pays the fee directly - hence the 1.1% fee.

 

 

All credit card transactions have a MCC (Merchant Category Code) associated with them. Is the surcharge a Princess charge? Or a charge directly by the Australian government? Makes a difference for us to maximize our cashback credit card rewards.

[Corfe Mixture]

FWIW. In Europe it is now illegal to charge a fee for using a credit card.

 

Up until quite recently, Princess used to apply a fee for paying for one’s UK booked cruise by credit card, but since the change in the law (which was introduced because budget airlines were deemed to be guilty of misrepresenting their fares by excluding fees) there is now no charge for paying for one’s cruise using credit cards.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[joybook]

There is a bit of incorrect information here. Not all merchants/shops etc add the surcharge for credit card usage. In fact it is my experience that from the ones I use, most do not. If they do there is usually a notice displayed at they checkout advising that a surcharge is applicable.

[kenexx]

It is normal for all credit card purchases in Australia to have this fee added.

 

Not on all things though. I only charge a fee for Diners card in my business. Most places I use my Visa don’t charge a fee.

[caribill]

All credit card transactions have a MCC (Merchant Category Code) associated with them. Is the surcharge a Princess charge? Or a charge directly by the Australian government? Makes a difference for us to maximize our cashback credit card rewards.

 

Australia laws allow merchants (and Princess is a merchant) to charge the user for the fees the credit card company charges the merchant for the transaction. In effect, Princess has chosen to have this 1.1% fee paid by the customer so it does not have to absorb the credit card company's fee.

 

Of course not every merchant passes on the fee, but Princess is one of those that does. It is not a government fee.

[cflutist]

Australia laws allow merchants (and Princess is a merchant) to charge the user for the fees the credit card company charges the merchant for the transaction. In effect, Princess has chosen to have this 1.1% fee paid by the customer so it does not have to absorb the credit card company's fee.

 

Of course not every merchant passes on the fee, but Princess is one of those that does. It is not a government fee.

 

 

Thanks, so if it shows up on our shipboard account, then we get 3% cashback from our credit card and no international fees. We would still net 1.9% cashback.

[rkmw]

Thanks, so if it shows up on our shipboard account, then we get 3% cashback from our credit card and no international fees. We would still net 1.9% cashback.

 

even us aussies & kiwis if we pay the deposit or final payment by credit card we still get charged the 1.1% so i use a debit card and no fees

[gottagocit]

Just so I understand.

Is the 1.1% fee charger only for “onboard” expenses or will it be applied to final payment as well?

What if you make a “prepayment” towards your voyage and use the credit to pay onboard expenses?

[newport dave]

FWIW. In Europe it is now illegal to charge a fee for using a credit card.

 

Up until quite recently, Princess used to apply a fee for paying for one’s UK booked cruise by credit card, but since the change in the law (which was introduced because budget airlines were deemed to be guilty of misrepresenting their fares by excluding fees) there is now no charge for paying for one’s cruise using credit cards.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Are you sure Princess charged this fee in the UK, we have paid for a few cruises direct to Princess and have never been charged for using our credit card.

[newport dave]

yes if you pay by credit card you are charged a fee, debit card if free but they do place holds on the debit card

 

a lot of people use cash and no fees but you'd have to convert USD to AUD cash

 

Simple way around the 'Holds' on a debit card. Register your credit card as normal, but on the last night go down and pay off your bill with your debit card.