Credit Report 2GO!

A consumer group has criticised a number of councils and local authorities for imposing surcharges for people who wish to pay tax bills or other costs by credit card.

‘Which?’ magazine, using Freedom of Information legislation, found that 55 councils in the UK are imposing additional fees for those who chose to pay by credit card, with 12 adding 2% or more to the cost of services.

Two councils were also found to be charging for debit card transactions, which attract a much lower fee for the retailer than a credit card transaction.

Bath and North East Somerset Council were named amongst the worst culprits, imposing a surcharge of 3% on council tax payments, planning applications and many other services, if a credit card is used.

Credit card companies impose a fee on retailers, known as merchants, for handling a credit card transaction and it is that fee that councils claim is the reason behind these charges. The

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Credit cards have replaced cash. I know that we all agree with it. How many of us walk around with nothing in our wallets but our identification cards, the numerous credit cards we own, and little else ? Plastic cash, the nick name given to credit cards surely explains the important position given to the credit cards in our life. But this culture of credit cards has meant that we have been one of the causes for the world to come to where it is today one with economies tumbling and a global recession. Although we use credit cards for all our cash requirements, we seriously lack the discipline of unsecured debt management.

If the credit card debt counseling is what will take us out of this mess, how can we effectively use it for our own good?? First of all, we need to make sure we do not spend more than we can afford.

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