Blyden Introduces Bill to Ban Credit Card Surcharges in U.S. Virgin Islands

With credit card surcharges becoming increasingly common in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Senator Marvin Blyden is moving to put an end to the practice with the introduction of Bill No. 36-0019, which seeks to ban businesses from imposing extra charges on customers who use credit cards. The bill, which is set to be heard by the Committee on Economic Development & Agriculture on April 14, would align the territory with other U.S. jurisdictions, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico, where surcharges on credit card transactions are prohibited, Mr. Blyden said. Prior to 2013, surcharges weren’t explicitly illegal under federal law. Instead, they were prohibited by the card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) through their private contracts with merchants. Additionally, many states had laws banning surcharges, often classifying them as unfair consumer practices. For example, as of the early 2000s, about 10 states—including California, New York, and Texas—had "no-surcharge" laws ...