Surcharging curbs do not apply, says Cabcharge
Cabcharge provided an outline of its views yesterday - and what might be the basis of future legal action - over forthcoming curbs on credit card surcharging.In a statement, released through the ASX, the taxi payments processor said that "it does not anticipate that [the curbs] will affect is service fees."On Tuesday, the Payments System Board published proposed regulations that will allow credit card schemes to introduce rules that limit surcharging. It proposes to bring the regulations into force from the beginning of 2013.The PSB proposes that surcharges will be allowed up to the limit of "reasonable costs", but with some latitude regarding the measurement of these costs.For any curbs on surcharging to affect any merchant, the bank that "acquires" the transaction must enforce the rule. In the case of Cabcharge that bank is NAB.If a bank does not enforce the rule then the credit card schemes can fine the bank.According to Cabcharge, its "fees for providing its services have been applied in their current form for 36 years."The nuances of this claim will no doubt be the subject of close review by NAB and the card schemes, with all the details being aired in public if the parties cannot agree and the matter should end up in the courts.Almost half of the A$190 million annual revenue of Cabcharge arises from the 10 per cent fee added to the fare when someone pays with a credit or debit card issued by a bank. Cabcharge did not use the statement released through the ASX to address another emerging regulatory threat. An inquiry into the taxi industry in Victoria has recommended that the service fee be halved.