Circular of the G.G.C. on the obligation to inform the consumer regarding the acceptance or otherwise of card payment methods

Circular 31/01/2017 of the General Secretariat for Trade 89/31.1.2017 has been published

Circular 31/01/2017 of the General Secretariat for Trade 89/31.1.2017 concerning informing the consumer about the acceptance or otherwise of card payment methods (article 66 of Law 4446/2016).

The circular clarifies the following:

Retail businesses and service providers that have card terminals (POS) are obliged to:

inform consumers about the categories of credit, debit and prepaid cards they accept. In particular, they are required to display a sign at the till bearing, in clearly legible capital letters, the following wording:

‘THE CONSUMER IS ENTITLED TO PAY USING A CREDIT, DEBIT OR PREPAID CARD’, ‘CONSUMERS MAY PAY WITH CREDIT, DEBIT OR PREPAID CARD’.

to have at the shop entrance a sign clearly stating the specific categories of credit, debit or prepaid cards accepted by each retail business or service provider. By way of example, the following card categories are mentioned: VISA, MASTER CARD, MAESTRO, DINERS, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER, UNION PAY. The relevant information may be provided either in full wording or by reference to each card’s trade mark.

The Directorate of Institutional Regulations and Market Supervision of Products and Services of the General Secretariat for Trade and Consumer Protection, and the Trade Departments of the Development Directorates of the Regional Units of the country, impose an administrative fine of 1.000 euros on offenders, following a consumer complaint or an ex officio inspection.

The decision imposing the administrative fine is subject to an administrative appeal within a period of thirty (30) days from service, depending on the Authority that imposed the fine,

– either before the Minister for Economy and Development, – or before the Coordinator of the Decentralised Administration, in the region of which the infringement was established.

The decision on the appeal is issued within a period of thirty (30) days from the lodging of the appeal and is subject to an appeal before the Administrative Court of First Instance of the place where the body that issued it is seated.