Surcharge

[compositor]

I believe there is a $1.10 surcharge for Credit Card payments but not direct debit is that correct?

As well can I set up direct debit and yet pay manually by credit card or some other means or am I stuck paying an additional charge?

[Thushari]

I believe there is a $1.10 surcharge for Credit Card payments but not direct debit is that correct?

Yes. If you pay by credit card/debit card (Master or Visa) there will be a surcharge of $1.10. But there is no additional charge for direct debit.

As well can I set up direct debit and yet pay manually by credit card or some other means or am I stuck paying an additional charge?

If you nominated direct debit as your payment method, on the billing date a request will be sent to the nominated bank. If the payment get rejected, your service will get temporally suspended. To un-suspend the service you should arrange a manual payment via credit card or direct debit.

Please email billing@exetel.com.au if you have further queries.

[compositor]

Hi Thushari,

So unless you have direct debit on the account each payment made by Credit Card or other method will incur a $1.10 charge?

I am asking because while I am happy to set up direct debit, I don't know that it would be fair to charge additional fees simply because of an election to pay an account in advance.

[Thushari]

So unless you have direct debit on the account each payment made by Credit Card or other method will incur a $1.10 charge?

Yes. There is no charge for direct debit but credit card/debit card payment will incur a surcharge of $1.10.

because of an election to pay an account in advance.

Could you please elaborate the above. However the surcharge is applicable irrespective of the payment made in advance or arrears. Exetel is also charged for these credit card surcharges for all the payments processed via credit/debit cards.

Please email billing@exetel.com.au if you have further queries.

[compositor]

Exetel is also charged for these credit card surcharges for all the payments processed via credit/debit cards.

No offence but I don't believe or accept that at all.

I have accounts with numerous other providers and none of them have ever charged an additional fee for using a credit card, so I think Exetel be best to look at their Merchant agreement with their bank since this situation lends itself very poorly to me wanting to sign up for any additional services.

[jokiin]

Exetel is also charged for these credit card surcharges for all the payments processed via credit/debit cards.

No offence but I don't believe or accept that at all.

I have accounts with numerous other providers and none of them have ever charged an additional fee for using a credit card, so I think Exetel be best to look at their Merchant agreement with their bank since this situation lends itself very poorly to me wanting to sign up for any additional services.

the other providers don't get out of the fee, they've just incorporated into the cost

keep in mind if you sign up for other services the $1.10 is charged on the total of your account (1 time) not for each service

[compositor]

Hi jokiin

Recently the banks changed their policy towards electronic (POS) transactions, so I cannot see why there would be such an exorbitant charge when it is known that physical card transactions only incur a cost of 5 cents since it was only ever a question of who pays, ie the cardholders' or merchents' bank.

Even still, what you say only further reinforces my understanding that the $1.10 charge is merely an arbitrary impost on what seems to be otherwise good services notwithstanding a dated approach towards billing even if there is what seems the ability for a single bill.

[Dazzled]

I've no idea how the Exetel fee was calculated, so can't comment on arbitrariness - but being a fixed charge per credit card per account it is obviously meant to cover the total of merchant fees. These can be complex, and exceed 5 cents - see for example the Commonwealth Bank (2008 ed) booklet at http://www.commbank.com.au/business/pds ... 270607.pdf. My usual supermarket does debit cards for free and charges 1% surcharge on credit cards. Taxis and airlines cost much more.

[compositor]

Hi Dazzled,

Maybe I am confused since I've not encountered this fee or charge on my current accounts with Exetel.

Are you saying that it is charged only once upon setup of the account or every time a bill is paid and/or a payment made?

Thank you

[Dazzled]

You can a range of Exetel services, such as, say, ADSL, PSTN phone, VoIP, a few mobile phones, prepaid VoIP or SMS, and an HSPA service or two. The monthly bill totals all of these, and if a credit card is used, adds on a $1.10 surcharge. The monthly transaction is automatic. Since it is a fixed monthly fee it impacts less as a percent on the customers with higher bills.

[jokiin]

Hi Dazzled,

Maybe I am confused since I've not encountered this fee or charge on my current accounts with Exetel.

Are you saying that it is charged only once upon setup of the account or every time a bill is paid and/or a payment made?

Thank you

if you pay by credit card it's $1.10 per month on your invoice

[compositor]

if you pay by credit card it's $1.10 per month on your invoice

Judging by the above two responses, I guess that means it is per bill as opposed to per service.

[jokiin]

if you pay by credit card it's $1.10 per month on your invoice

Judging by the above two responses, I guess that means it is per bill as opposed to per service.

correct