Sneaky Credit Card Charges

Ryanair has been slated by competition watchdogs for stinging customers with sneaky credit card charges.

John Fingleton, chief executive of the Office of Fair Trading, has accused the budget airline of “taunting” customers and “playing silly games”.

The focus of Fingleton’s anger is Ryanair’s £5 per person, per flight, fee for paying by almost all credit and debit cards. For a family-of-four booking return flights that’s an extra £40.

Consumer law says firms must include all compulsory fees in the advertised price.

But Ryanair avoids this because they offer a fee-free option if you pay by Mastercard prepaid card.

As most passengers don’t have this card they are stung with the extra cost, on top of fees for baggage, etc.

Fingleton said: “It’s almost like taunting consumers and pointing out, ‘Oh well, we know this is completely outside the spirit of the law, but we think it’s within the narrow letter of the law’.

“On some level, it’s quite puerile, it’s almost childish, and you sort of smile.