The surcharge of up to 2 per cent levied on plastic for that morning coffee is a gnawing ache for many, but if cafes decided to charge an 8.25 per cent transaction fee on every payment they’d certainly lose a lot of business.
In July, the council introduced a cashless system that suggests drivers download an app and create an account which demands personal details, to park their car. Drivers lashed out, claiming the system was overcomplicated and intrusive: to create an account, drivers are required to give their full name, phone number, email, postcode, car registration and credit card details. The well-hidden 8.25 per cent service charge on top of the parking fee was the insult to the injury.
So Berry wrote to PayStay, the company contracted by North Sydney Council to run its new parking system, saying he believed the transaction fees were in breach of Australian consumer law because the total price of a product or service is required to be displayed as a single figure.