Please Support HB 621 by Brandenburg with NO Amendments
The HB 621 Protects Florida Consumers from Unfair Surcharges on Everyday Purchases
Facts about HB 621
Current Florida Statute, s. 501.0117, prohibits merchants from applying a checkout fee or surcharge on consumers using credit cards to make everyday purchases. Since debit cards were not in use at the time the law passed in 1987, debit cards were not included. HB 621 updates this important 23 year old surcharge protection to consumers who pay with debit cards. HB 621 simply inserts the term “debit card” and a definition into the current surcharge prohibition statute. Oklahoma, Kansas, and Maine just passed a similar law within the last two weeks to prohibit surcharges on debit cards.
How HB 621 Protects Florida Consumers
When a consumer goes to the check-out line, the stated price of an item – as advertised or affixed to the price tag – should be the actual price consumers pay. Today, a loophole in Florida law, which already bans checkout fees or surcharging on credit card transactions, leaves consumers unprotected if a merchant decides to surprise them with an unexpected “check-out fee” for using a debit card. HB 621 continues to allow retailers to price goods and services as they wish (and even discount for cash and checks).
HB 621 closes the loophole, so that no matter where Floridians shop or what form of payment they choose, they can be assured a surprise “check-out fee” won’t be waiting for them when they pay with a debit card.
HB 621 will prohibit retailers from profiteering by surcharging government benefit programs issued via a debit card for unemployment compensation, food stamps and social security.
In an effort to reduce costs associated with issuing paper checks, Florida has developed programs to issue debit cards for the distribution of government food stamp and unemployment compensation programs. Furthermore, the federal government recently announced that social security benefits will be distributed via direct deposit or by a debit card.
Retailers are attempting to remove the Debit Card Surcharge Language from HB 621 to preserve the ability to surcharge consumers using Debit Cards. Please support HB 621 with no amendments to protect consumers from surprise surcharges for using debit cards.
|