​Card Surcharge Leads to Fine for Anglesey Chip Shop Owner

An Anglesey-based chip shop owner has faced legal consequences for imposing an additional fee on customers who pay via bank card. Duran Sasmaz, who runs Aran Fish and Chip Shop in Llangefni, incurred a £1,512 fine for charging a 50p surcharge on transactions below £15 - a practice that has been prohibited since 2018. This admission of guilt occurred at Caernarfon Magistrates' Court, highlighting a clear breach of trading regulations.

The issue came to light after a councillor noticed a customer dispute over the extra fee, leading to a formal investigation by Anglesey Trading Standards. Despite previous cautions, this investigation in March 2023 verified the unlawful practice. The court recognised Sasmaz's previous positive standing in the community but considered his repeated disregard for warnings an exacerbating factor.

Calculating the total advantage gained from this surcharge proved challenging; however, both prosecution and defence concurred on an estimated £6,100 over three years. In defence, Gareth Parry argued that the transition to card payments, heavily promoted by the pandemic, placed financial strains on businesses like Sasmaz's, suggesting a misunderstanding due to language barriers and an unfamiliarity with the legal implications of such charges.

In a gesture of goodwill, Sasmaz has committed to donating the derived benefits to a local food bank, with a substantial £3,000 already contributed. This move, alongside his early guilty plea, indicates remorse and a willingness to correct his mistake.

We invite you to share your thoughts and comments below on this incident and the broader implications for small businesses navigating payment practices.