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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Where there's smoke ... there are training opps, thanks to FD3's 'SIM house' ... Medford woman gets prison for DUII crash that killed sister ... Shark attack wound is 'very obviously a mouth,' doctors say ... Where there's smoke ... there are training opps, thanks to FD3's 'SIM house' ... Medford woman gets prison for DUII crash that killed sister ... Shark attack wound is 'very obviously a mouth,' doctors say ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Court ruling allows merchants to charge credit card fees Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted May. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted May. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Recently, I've noticed some of the merchants I do business with have added on a 2.5 percent surcharge to compensate for the fees they are charged for taking credit cards. Isn't this illegal? The last straw was for my vet, who charged me a fee for using a credit card. I thought if a merchant had a card agreement, they had to assume the costs of this agreement. Is there somewhere I could report this if it is illegal? — E. McKeon, Ashland Your pet's veterinarian is fully within the rights of both the law and Visa and MasterCard's merchant guidelines to charge you a fee, as long as it's as you described. U.S. merchants can charge customers what they pay the card company for the credit card transaction, or up to 4 percent, whichever amount's lower. The fee can't be more than $10. The rule is relatively recent. Merchants have been allowed to pass along to customers the fees they pay to process Visa and MasterCard credit card payments since Jan. 27, 2013, after the settlement of a multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuit. Within a week of the settlement between a group of merchants and the two card behemoths, we ran a story with the headline "We don't do that here" in which we talked to local businesses who all said they wouldn't impose the allowed fees. We apparently should've checked with some area gas stations and your vet. Most other countries still prohibit surcharges for card processing, with Australia and New Zealand being the notable exceptions. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted May. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501